UPDATE: The Olympic Council of Ireland President Pat Hickey has temporarily stepped down.
The Council released the below statement on the matter.
A warrant of arrest for OCI President Pat Hickey was issued this morning by Brazilian authorities. Contrary to reports, Mr Hickey complied fully with the terms of the warrant. Mr Hickey was taken ill as this warrant was served and was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
In light of this morning’s developments and his ill health, Mr Hickey has taken the decision to step aside temporarily as President of the OCI and all other Olympic functions (IOC member in Ireland, EOC President, ANOC Vice President) until this matter is fully resolved. Mr Hickey will of course continue to cooperate and assist with all ongoing enquiries.
Breaking news from Rio today.
Reports across Twitter, originating in Brazil, claim that Olympic Council of Ireland President Pat Hickey has been arrested in Rio de Janeiro.
Hickey’s arrest came at his hotel in Barra da Tijuca and he is understood to be under questioning at a local police station over his involvement in the irregular sale of Olympic tickets.
The Estado reports that Hickey was arrested because he refused to investigate the scandal over 1,000 tickets sold by scalpers.
The report also states that at the time of his arrest, Hickey fell ill and had to be taken to hospital immediately.
During the action this morning, the police officers seized an estimated 1,000 tickets that were sold for amounts well above that set by the Olympics organisers. Several of these tickets were registered to IOC members and included high levels of inputs for the opening ceremony took place on the 5th.
Donovan Ferreti, director Tickets Rio-2016, explained that a person or company can purchase a maximum of 120 entries. But national Olympic bodies have access to a larger volume, with they are supposed to sell to their fans.
Last Friday, Irishman Kevin Mallon was arrested by Police in Rio for ticket scouting.
According to The Irish Times, Mallon worked at sports hospitality company THG Sports which was the OCI’s authorised ticket reseller for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. The OCI says Stephen Hickey, the son president Pat Hickey, was a manager at THG Sports at the time of the Olympic Games in London.
The Irish Olympic Committee denied all involvement.
“The OCI strictly adheres to the International Olympic Committee regulations around ticket allocation, sale and re-sale. We are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness,” it said.
