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Bach to skip Paralympic Games

An OCI spokeswoman told the BBC the organisation was “aware of press reports” that Brazilian police were now seeking a warrant for Mr Burke’s arrest, but she said the OCI would not be making any comment on the matter.

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Two other Irishmen, Pat Hickey and Kevin Mallon, are facing charges as a result of the investigation which began as the Games opened in Rio last month.

Police say they are interested in speaking with IOC President Thomas Bach, as part of a new phase in their investigation.

Police investigator Aloysio Falcao said authorities want to speak with Bach about email exchanges between him and Hickey related to ticket allocations to Ireland.

Police action led to the arrests of Patrick Hickey, former head of the Olympic Council of Ireland, and Kevin Mallon, a director of global sports hospitality company THG Sports.

His passport was confiscated, and he must remain in Brazil until the case is concluded.

“We are interested to hear the president of the International Olympic Committee since he was quoted in messages”, the special police director general Ronaldo Oliveira, told the UOL news website.

“Neither the IOC nor the IOC President have been contacted by any Brazilian authority concerning a request for information”.

A court must now decide whether to accept the charges or throw them out.

Mallon was arrested with 823 tickets in his possession while entertaining ticket holders at a hospitality venue owned by ticket re-seller, Carton, on August 5. After attending the funeral of former West German president Walter Scheel on Wednesday, he is due in Croatia this weekend for a 25-year celebration of the founding of their Olympic Committee. “That is something we would like to know”, Oliveira said.

It’s unclear if Bach will go to Brazil for any of the Paralympics, which last until September 18.

Hickey is said to have received some 296 tickets for numerous at events at the Rio Olympics from the president of the IOC.

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Hickey has denied wrongdoing and stepped down on a “temporary basis” from the International Olympic Committee role he has held since 2005.

Hans Georg  Canarinho Press