Members of Beija-Flor Samba School participated in the winners' parade in the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early on Sunday (22 FEB. 2015) morning, after the school was declared the champion of the city's hotly contested Carnival parade competition this week, with a colorful exhibit inspired by the culture of Equatorial Guinea.
But the award was not without controversy - last week Brazilian newspaper 'O Globo' reported that the samba group had received 3.5 million US dollars from Equatorial Guinea's government.
But officials from Beija-Flor, the Portuguese word for hummingbird, would say only that they had received unspecified cultural and artistic support.
Thirty-seven year old dancer with Beija-Flor, Casio Dias, defended the school's presentation - which did focus on Equatorial Guinean culture - saying there was no political content.
Luiz Fernando do Carmo, director of Beija-Flor, suggested the allegations were an attempt to "confuse the jury" at the parade competition.
Rio's samba parade competition among the top 12 groups is fiercely contested and closely followed in the country.
The two nights of parades are broadcast live and judges gave each school a rating in nine categories.
There is no cash prize for first place - just a trophy and the associated glory.
Even so, Rio's samba groups have long been dogged by allegations of financial irregularities.
Several court cases over the decades have linked top samba group officials to illegal lottery rackets known as "jogo do bicho," or "animal game."
Others have drawn criticism in the past for accepting funding from foreign governments.
