He also refused to confirm or deny the police claim that the OCI did not inform the committee that tickets from its personal quota were being handed over to Pro10 for general sale as was required by Olympic regulations.
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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – The IOC hierarchy is used to being treated like royalty in Olympic host cities.
Brazilian Police seized 781 tickets being sold at “extremely high prices” of up to €7,200.
Here is a closer look at the case.
OCI President Pat Hickey has been arrested in Rio de Janeiro this morning.
Hickey is a former judoka and is honorary life president of the Irish Judo Federation.
Ireland’s national Olympic committee – the Olympic Council of Ireland – said Hickey was admitted to Samaratino Hospital “for investigation of chest pain” and was in stable condition.
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”. In 2015, he led the first European Games organised by the EOC in Baku, Azerbaijan. Hickey was charged with conspiracy, ticket scalping and ambush marketing and will be detained while the investigation continues.
Mr Barbosa said police now believe that Pro10 which was set up a year ago was used by the OCI as a “bridge” to get its tickets to THG despite the latter’s application to be an official vendor being rejected by Rio organisers.
Police said the arrest was related to that of fellow Irishman Kevin James Mallon on the day of the Olympic opening ceremony.
His arrest comes after police last week detained a director of THG Sports, an worldwide sports hospitality company, Kevin Mallon, and a translator employed by the company, alleging that they could have made 10 million reais ($3 million) from buying tickets and reselling them at a higher price. The company was selling tickets at inflated prices.
Investigators said Hickey initially was shaken and the hotel’s doctor recommended his transfer to a nearby hospital for tests because of his age and medical history.
The investigation was no surprise for Hickey.
The OCI said in a statement it was “aware of the media stories regarding Pat Hickey and we are seeking total clarity on the situation before we comment further”.
Brazilian authorities have also issued warrants for four more executives at THG, including Marcus Evans, who owns its parent company as well as English soccer club Ipswich Town.
Mallon is an executive at sports hospitality company THG Sports which was the OCI’s authorized ticket reseller for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
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Raymond Whelan, a British director of Federation Internationale de Football Association ticketing partner Match Services, was arrested in a blaze of publicity at a luxury Copacabana hotel two years ago. THG was also involved in the illegal sale of tickets for the World Cup held in Brazil.
