The quintet are accused of receiving a one per cent bribe from construction companies for works signed under the Governorship of Sérgio Cabral.

Cabral was arrested in November and remains detained and accused of embezzling $65 million (£52 million/€61 million) due to be spent on construction projects.

The latest arrests formed part of a plea deal with the two other members of the seven-strong TCE-Rj.

It came in an operation dubbed "The Golden Five" in reference to a tax levied by Portuguese colonisers against gold diggers in Minas Gerais.

The bribes were allegedly in return for tax breaks against constructions companies.

Projects implicated include direct projects related to Rio 2016 as well as electronic metro cards of Rio subway users.

State Legislature President Jorge Picciani has also been questioned by police as part of the same investigation.

He is the father of Brazil's current Sports Minister Leonardo Picciani.

According to the Public Ministry, this scheme began between 2009 and 2010 "when the Cabral Government turned Rio into a construction site as preparations intensified for the FIFA World Cup and then the Rio Olympics".

Work connected with Rio 2016 has been riddled with corruption allegations.

The Rio State Government have been particularly blamed for many of the problems surrounding the Games.

This includes a failure to pay funds owed to the Organising Committee, vital for paying off staff and constructors after the event had finished.

Work to ensure Rio fulfills legacy plans is taking place at the same time as the investigations continue.