Travel ban for four Olympic officials amid tickets probe

OCI chief executive Stephen Martin, secretary general Dermot Henihan and Ireland team leader Kevin Kilty were accused of illegally selling Olympic tickets.

According to a statement by the OCI, the police were met by three OCI personnel and, while no arrests were made, police took possession of their passports, mobile phones and laptops.

A Rio police official said: “We are continuing the investigation into the global scheme of ticket scalping”.

It is claimed by the Brazilian media that Hickey’s arrest was in connection with that of countryman Kevin Mallon, who is alleged to have passed OCI tickets to THG Sports.

BRAZILIAN police have sought to seize the passport of John Delaney, as well as the passports of five other OCI officials.

“Early this morning in Rio, Brazilian police arrived at the OCI offices in the Olympic village and at OCI accommodation outside of the village”.

The officials were not arrested but they were asked and agreed to attend police stations in Rio for questioning on Tuesday, the OCI said in a statement.

Police say they seized more than 1,000 tickets from THG Sports, which is not an official ticket reseller, and a judge has ordered the arrest of four more THG executives on accusations of fraudulent ticket sales at the Olympics.

Mr Hickey, 71, was arrested last Wednesday, (August 17) at his hotel in Barra de Tijuca, Rio.

After being discharged he was taken to a police station for questioning.

Hickey has been formally accused under Brazilian law of ticket touting, running a cartel and illicit marketing. They will appoint an accountancy firm to conduct a review of the ticketing process which will then be presented to the independent inquiry.

This doesn’t amount to a charge under British law – it is described as a “preliminary step” before the equivalent in Brazilian law in The Guardian.

Hickey has been moved to a high-security remand prison at Gericino Penitentiary Complex, known as Bangu Prison, and an application against his detention was denied by a judge. Mallon is a director of the company.

PRO10 and THG have denied wrongdoing.