Brazil charges IOC’s Hickey, 9 more on ticket scalping case

Patrick Hickey was among 10 people charged by Brazilian prosecutors with ticket scalping, conspiracy and ambush marketing.

Marcos Kac, a state prosecutor, said on Tuesday that after reviewing the police investigation he had chose to charge the Olympic Council of Ireland’s president Pat Hickey and nine others with ticket touting, conspiracy and ambush marketing.

Police in Brazil have reportedly named International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach as a witness as part of their investigation into ticket allegations surrounding Irishman Patrick Hickey.

However, Bach canceled plans to attend Wednesday’s opening of the Paralympics in Rio.

“The IOC can not comment on a newspaper story nor on the ongoing legal procedure against Mr Hickey for whom the presumption of innocence prevails”.

In an email exchange, published by the website, Mr Hickey reportedly made comparisons between the ticket allocations for the OCI for the London Games in 2012 and the Rio Games in 2016.

He is due to be questioned this evening by police in Rio.

Prosecutor Marcus Kac has passed charges against the 71 year-old and fellow Irishman Kevin Mallon to a judge, who will decide whether to accept or reject them.

Police have said Mr Hickey plotted with businessmen to transfer tickets illegally to a non-authorised vendor that was allegedly selling them for high fees.

He was set free last week when a judge ruled that he was not a risk to the public or the investigation. Police investigators said the scheme was planned to bring in $3 million.

Under Brazilian law, a judge will now have to decide whether or not to pursue the charges and place the men on trial.

The charges against Mr Hickey, who was arrested in Rio last month, include ticket touting, fraud, false advertising, tax evasion and money laundering.

Hickey has temporality “stepped aside” from all his Olympic roles – IOC member, IOC executive board representative, Olympic Council of Ireland president, head of the European Olympic Committees and vice president of the Association of National Olympic Committees.

Mallon met with civil police investigators on Monday (September 5) in Rio having been released from Bangu Prison on bail late last month following a Supreme Court ruling in Brasília.