BRAZILIAN police arrested Europe’s top Olympic official Patrick Hickey on Wednesday over black market sales of Rio Games tickets forcing the sports baron to “temporarily” leave his posts.
Police raided a luxury Rio hotel where International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials were staying just after dawn to detain the 71-year-old.
Hickey was shown in media video images answering the door naked before putting on a bath robe to answer questions.
He was taken away in an ambulance and was expected to spend the night in hospital before he could be questioned, IOC spokesman Mark Adams and police said.
Police said they suspected he had changed rooms to try to evade arrest. Hickey’s wife at first told them Hickey had left the country, police told reporters.
“We found some of his possessions in his room: shoes, his socks thrown on the ground, his suitcase was there and open,” said Rio special investigations chief Ronaldo Oliveira.
Hickey was detained in a separate room.
Within hours Hickey announced through the Olympic Committee of Ireland (OCI) that he was “temporarily” standing down as a member of the IOC executive as well as president of the European Olympic Committees and the OCI.
The statement blamed “this morning’s developments” and Hickey’s “ill health” and would last “until this matter is fully resolved.”
He has been accused of ticket scalping, ambush marketing and conspiracy after tickets were seized from another Irish businessman. Prosecutors have estimated the profits from the black market sales at US$3 million.
The IOC spokesman said the global body would be “fully cooperating” with the Brazilian investigation.
“Mr. Hickey is entitled for the world and everyone to believe he is innocent until proven guilty,” Adams added. “Let’s not jump the gun on this one.”
The arrest will be a blow to the IOC which has made anti-corruption efforts a priority since a bribery scandal around the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Six IOC members were expelled after. (SD-Agencies)
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