Brazilian police investigating Olympic ticket scalping raided Ireland’s office at the athletes village today as delegation members had their passports seized on the final day of the Rio Games.
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Brazilian police say they are satisfied that three Irish Olympic officials, including Co Down man Stephen Martin, had no role in the alleged Rio 2016 ticket touting scandal.
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.
The two other executives are reported to be OCI Secretary General Dermot Henihan and Kevin Kilty, Ireland’s Olympic chef de mission.
After being discharged, Europe’s most senior Olympic official was taken to a police station for questioning. “They agreed to do so”.
Mr Mallon was arrested after police seized Olympic tickets in a Rio hotel, some of which were part of the Irish allocation and some for the opening and closing ceremonies and the football final.
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.
Hickey is now sharing a cell in Bangu 10 Prison with THG director Kevin Mallon, who was arrested on August 5th in possession of OCI tickets, which should only be distributed through approved ticket reseller Pro10.
Warrants were also issued for the seizure of passports belonging to temporary OCI president Willie O’Brien, Vice President John Delaney who is also FAI CEO and Mr Hickey’s Personal Assistant Linda O’Reilly.
Update 9.55am: A statement has been released this morning by the lawyer representing former Olympic Council of Ireland president Pat Hickey.
The statement added: “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”. THG Sports was an authorised reseller for tickets at the London Olympics and the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
Second passport Also charged with Mr Mallon is Marcus Evans, the British businessman who owns THG.
Fraud officers allege that Irish company PRO10 was created to act as a bridge between OCI and THG after this. The disgraced administrator has “stepped aside” from his post, and Brazilian police have barred four other Irish sports officials from leaving the country.
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Earlier, the OCI said it will not pay Hickey’s legal fees if he is convicted of the offences for which he is being held.
