Rio police are interrogating three of Ireland’s top Olympic executives as a ticket scalping investigation widens even after the Summer Games ended.
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Dermot Henihan, general secretary of the OCI, Kevin Kilty, its treasurer, and Stephen Martin, the chief executive, agreed to attend a Rio police station when their hotel rooms were raided on Sunday.
Brazilian police launched their widening investigation after they seized more than 1,000 premier tickets for Rio, including those to the opening ceremony.
Hickey, who was last week arrested as part of an investigation into ticket touting at the Olympic Games, is now being held in Bangu prison in Rio de Janeiro.
Police accuse Hickey of scaling official Games tickets at inflated prices in a scam involving Ireland’s official Games ticket re seller, Dublin-based PRO10 Sports Management, plus worldwide sports hospitality company, THG Sports.
The OCI announces it will commission an independent inquiry into Olympics ticketing.
“All the emails were sent to Patrick Hickey, copied to John Delaney and [acting OCI president] Willie O’Brien because they are the big guys in the council”.
The arrest of Olympic Council of Ireland president Pat Hickey made headlines around the world.
Though police have not formally arrested Martin, Henihan and Kitty, they will question the three men Tuesday, The Guardian reported.
Police said that Hickey claims to have only met Evans in 2012 and to have made contact with him after the arrest of another Irishman, THG executive Kevin Mallon, only to complain that his name was being tainted.
In his only interview since the court order confiscating his passport, Mr Kilty denied having any knowledge of the alleged ticketing scam. The 71-year-old is being held in a Rio prison, pending formal charges.
Irish Sports Minister Shane Ross arrives in Rio for a meeting with Pat Hickey.
Earlier, IOC president Thomas Bach said that Hickey, now held in the Bangu maximum security prison in Rio, will appear before a Brazilian judge on Tuesday.
“I’m also disappointed to hear and read of relatives of our athletes finding it hard to access- through Ireland- tickets to support their sons, their daughters and their relatives”, he continued.
Asked by host Joe Duffy if Hickey could be stuck in Brazil for three months, the Commissioner replied that that was the case.
PRO10 and THG have denied wrongdoing.
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“Mr. Hickey has been arrested due to suppositions that are not supported by any material evidence or proof of the alleged facts presented by the police”, said Hickey’s lawyer, Arthur Lavigne, in his first statement.
