RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – European Olympic head Patrick Hickey of Ireland is spending the closing days of the Rio Games in a prison after his arrest in a ticket-scalping scandal, authorities said Friday.
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Police arrested Hickey in a dawn raid on his hotel on Wednesday, in connection with an investigation into the illegal resale of Olympics tickets.
He was admitted to hospital with chest pains after his arrest, but was discharged on Thursday and on Friday was sent to Brazil’s Bangu maximum security prison, a penitentiary complex which houses some of Brazil’s most unsafe inmates.
The 71-year-old was transferred to Bangu prison in Rio.
The OCI statement said he had stepped down temporarily from his role with the Irish body as well as an International Olympic Committee member, president of the European Olympic Committees and vice-president of the Association of National Olympic Committees.
The Olympic Council of Ireland has said it will fully co-operate with the Irish inquiry.
Mr Ross said that the situation had moved a long way since his meeting with Mr Hickey on Monday.
Police also issued arrest warrants for three executives of the Dublin-based Pro10 Sports Management company.
Mallon and interpreter Barbara Carnieri were arrested earlier this month for allegedly being in possession of over 1,000 tickets for the Olympic Games that they were not authorised to sell.
Details of an independent inquiry are expected to be announced by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross on Friday.
Unused official games tickets were also taken from the Irish office in the Olympic Village, which the OCI said were for athletes’ families and friends.
Those who had their passports seized on Sunday morning were OCI Executive Director Stephen Martin, Secretary-General Dermot Henihan and Treasurer Kevin Kilty, police said.
Judge Mariana Tavares Shu, in a statement on the Rio courts service website, cited the case of James Sinton, a THG CEO who was arrested over a scalping ring for World Cup tickets in 2014.
Mr O’Donovan said this inquiry will not affect any investigations that are under way in Brazil.
“THG would like to see that an independent inquiry, under the chair of a respected Irish legal figure, be actioned expeditiously”.
The Olympic Council of Ireland has agreed to “cooperate fully” with the State inquiry into the Olympic ticket scandal.
William O’Brien, who has temporarily taken over as president of the OCI, said on Thursday that the organisation would “defend ourselves to the hilt”.
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Mr Hickey was arrested on Wednesday (August 17) as police had found evidence of a relationship between Mr Hickey and Marcus Evans, the owner of THG.
