Shane Ross has cut short a trip to the Rio Olympics, after the President of the Olympic Council of Ireland was arrested as part of an investigation into a ticket scandal. Brazilian police said they recovered more than 1,000 tickets, believed to have been earmarked for the OCI, which were being sold for more than face value.
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Hickey is accused of plotting with at least six others to illegally sell tickets for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Rio police said.
Conspiracy, ticket scalping and ambush marketing are the charges facing the 71-year-old Hickey.
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”.
The IOC said it “respectfully takes note” of Hickey’s decision to step aside from his Olympic roles.
Warrant The OCI said in a statement: “Contrary to reports, Mr Hickey complied fully with the terms of the warrant”. A police video appears to show Hickey nude when police entered his hotel room, before returning to the bathroom to put on a robe.
Officers found his Olympic accreditation bag on the floor, and located him in an adjacent room registered under his son’s name after requesting help from the hotel. When they knocked on its door Mr Hickey answered. Moments later, he walks out in a white bathrobe.
Last night, he remained under medical observation in a Rio hospital following his arrest by the police unit investigating alleged ticket touting at the Olympic Games in the city.
The former judo athlete built his powerbase through the sport, going on to lead the entire Irish team at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics before being elected an International Olympic Committee member in 1995.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said the committee would “fully cooperate with the police investigation”.
Speaking after touching down at Dublin Airport, Minister Ross said Irish Sport and Irish athletes, haven’t let us down. “We have full confidence in the system here”. An Irish man and a translator were arrested earlier this month in Rio and about 800 tickets seized, some of which came from the OCI’s allocation. “Even more when we are talking about the biggest sporting event that should uphold ethics and an global spirit”.
The arrest of Pat Hickey is continuing to cause ripples through Irish sport. Kevin James Mallon is one of the heads of British hospitality provider THG, the main company suspected in the scheme. Mallon was arrested along with a local employee who was working as an interpreter.
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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.
