Patrick Hickey, who has led the Olympic Council of Ireland since 1989, was arrested as part of a larger probe into tickets allotted to the country that were being sold illegally at the Summer Games.
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The IOC has also promised to co-operate fully with authorities after police said they had evidence linking Hickey to an global scheme to illegally pass Olympic tickets to touts who were reselling them at well above their original price.
Police are also looking for two soccer agents and a financial adviser at Pro 10 Sports Management, which investigators allege was created to facilitate the transfer of tickets between the Irish Olympic committee and THG, an unauthorized ticket seller.
An executive for sports hospitality company THG, he was arrested allegedly with hundreds of tickets marked for the Olympic Council of Ireland.
During the World Cup, police arrested high-level figures of the official Cup corporate hospitality provider for funnelling tickets to touters. The organisation said Mr Hickey would “continue to cooperate and assist with all ongoing enquiries”.
After those arrests, the Olympic Council of Ireland said it would investigate why some of its tickets were in their possession.
Brazilian police have launched a widening investigation after seizing more than 1,000 premier tickets for Games events, including the opening ceremony.
Journalist with Bloomberg, Tariq Panja, thinks authorities in Rio will be keen to make an example of Mr Hickey.
He went on to say that the matter is being investigated by the Irish Olympic Committee and doesn’t directly involve the global Olympic body.
The OCI website still describes Hickey as “probably the top ranked Irish administrator in the world of worldwide sport and, as well as being a prime mover in the IOC, he is president of the powerful European Olympic Committees organization”.
Mr Hickey, 71, is suspected of being involved in a scheme to sell tickets for higher than their face value, BBC reports.
Hickey, a former judo athlete, has been an International Olympic Committee member since 1995.
The OCI said his condition was stable and he was expected to remain in the Samaritano Hospital for another 24 hours.
SPORTS MINISTER SHANE Ross has arrived back in Dublin ahead of a meeting with Attorney General Máire Whelan tomorrow to discuss the Olympic ticketing scandal.
“The allegation that a portion of the OCI’s Family and Friends tickets were being made available by PRO10 for general sale is utterly untrue and completely without any foundation”.
Speaking to reporters at Dublin Airport, Ross said he came home as quickly as possible to deal with what he described as a “grave matter”. As head of the European body he was instrumental in setting up the European Games which was first held in Baku, Azerbaijan, last year.
A spokesman for Mr Ross said the minister had been made aware of the arrest.
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The city’s Civil Police confirmed officers had detained the sports chief more than a week on from the arrest of another Irish man in connection with the same inquiry.
