Hickey’s arrest followed earlier operations by police against what they said was an global ticket scalping ring.
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The Olympic Council of Ireland said on its website that it was aware of the reports. Just as he was about to be arrested, Hickey was taken to nearby hospital by ambulance for undisclosed health reasons.
Two people were arrested earlier in August, amid allegations that Olympic tickets earmarked for Ireland’s Olympic Council were sold on the black market in Rio de Janeiro.
The former boss of the Olympic Committee of Ireland is accused of facilitating ticket touting and forming a cartel, among other charges.
The OCI website still describes Hickey as “probably the top ranked Irish administrator in the world of global sport and, as well as being a prime mover in the IOC, he is president of the powerful European Olympic Committees organization”.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would co-operate with any police investigation and stressed that Mr Hickey should be presumed innocent until proved otherwise.
The IOC said it “respectfully takes note” of Hickey’s decision to step aside from his Olympic roles.
“Until then, the presumption of innocence prevails”, the committee said in a statement. When we arrived at the room that was registered to him, we found only his wife, who was sleeping.
“Is the International Olympic Committee concerned”, Sutton asked, “that one of the enduring images of these Games may well be one of its senior members opening the door naked to a police raid?” Moments later, he walks out in a white bathrobe.
Pictures shown by ESPN Brazil showed Hickey speaking to police in a bath robe in his room. “In view of his previous cardiac history he will remain in hospital for a further 24 hours”. He joined the ruling executive board four years ago.
Spokesman Mark Adams told reporters the International Olympic Committee was waiting to hear directly from police in relation to the allegations. When we know some facts, when police give us some facts, we’ll let you know. “We have full confidence in the system here”.
He also refused to back down when faced with criticism over sports funding and governance in the 1990s and more recently when the Irish Sports Council was created and wanted to take more control.
Authorities allege he was at a cocktail party selling Olympics opening-ceremony tickets with a face value of less than $500 for $8,000.
He’s also president of the European Olympic Committees.
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Irish politicians demanded an independent investigation. The company suspected is British hospitality provider THG Sports, which police say was also part of an alleged ticket-scalping scheme uncovered during the 2014 World Cup.
