Police only began questioning 71-year-old Hickey on Thursday after he was hospitalized for a day with chest pains following his arrest.
Advertisement
Rio police said on Friday that Hickey’s legal team had unsuccessfully claimed that the Irishman was being illegally detained and has since been transferred to Bangu prison.
“In light of this morning’s developments and his ill health, Mr Hickey has taken the decision to step aside temporarily as president of the OCI and all other Olympic functions (IOC member in Ireland, European Olympic president, ANOC vice-president) until this matter is fully resolved”.
Rio de Janeiro’s Civil Police arrest Irish Olympic president Pat Hickey on allegations of involvement in ticket-scalping. “The previously announced internal inquiry by the OCI has been discontinued”.
Brazilian police say an International Olympic Committee executive has been transferred to prison while under investigation for a ticket scalping scandal.
Media captionIrish Sports Minister Shane Ross says the OCI will have to accept an independent inquiry.
Earlier the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) rowed back on its earlier position and vowed it would co-operate fully with any inquiry.
“I know from Pat he had no idea that the representative from this company distributing these tickets was here distributing these tickets, so I look at the charges and really don’t understand the basis of the indignity that he was put through”, Coates said.
Mr. Hickey has been incarcerated in Bangu prison in Rio, pending results of the investigations into the alleged ticket touting by members of the committee and associated individuals.
In a statement on Friday, THG said it wants the inquiry in Ireland to “be actioned expeditiously” and pledged its full co-operation “in the strong belief that it can demonstrate that the company has acted lawfully at all times”.
“A commission of investigation should be established speedily, investigate all relevant facts and report its conclusions in the shortest possible time”.
THG Sports director Kevin Mallon has been held by police and warrants issued for the arrest of Mr Evans and three colleagues.
In an interview with RTE last week, Mr Hickey denied any wrongdoing in relation to ticket sale.
Advertisement
Sports minister Shane Ross, who is in Rio and who met Hickey at the weekend to discuss the ticket sales allegations, tweeted simply: “Shell shock here in Rio”.
