IOC member Hickey moved to Rio prison during ticket probe

The Irish President was arrested at Rio de Janeiro amid accusation regarding illegal passing on tickets for the Olympic competitions.

“We don’t know what the allegations or charges are yet”, he said.

He has been taken to Bangu maximum security prison in Rio de Janeiro.

The investigation centres on the sale of more than 800 tickets to the Games, including more than 20 which police said were intended for use by Ireland’s Olympic officials.

The State Department of Penitentiary Administration (SEAP) have confirmed that, like other inmates, Mr Hickey had his head shaved at the unit.

A police video appears to show Hickey nude when police entered his hotel room, before returning to the bathroom to put on a robe.

Bach said there would be no disciplinary commission to investigate Hickey because the 71-year-old had temporarily stepped down from his International Olympic Committee positions as well. Rio de Janeiro authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Hickey accused of scalping tickets for the Summer Games.

The G1 news website reported a year ago that inmates in the Bangu 10 part of the complex where Hickey is being held were eating damp toilet paper to kill their hunger. Prior to Hickey, two others were arrested amid allegations of OCI-allocated tickets landing on the black market.

The OCI says it “strictly adheres” to International Olympic Committee rules on sale, resale and allocation of tickets, and they took “immediate action” as soon as it became known that tickets allocated to the OCI had been seized in a police operation.

Pat Hickey had strongly dismissed the notion that the OCI would cooperate with a Government inquiry when he met with Minister for Sport, Shane Ross, last week but Hickey’s subsequent arrest has changed the direction of the OCI’s stance.

Asked if the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) would accept that, the minister said that the OCI will not have any option, adding that were going to have an independent inquiry anyway.

“We have nothing to hide and are therefore anxious that the full facts are established and made public as soon as possible so that our good name can be exonerated”.

Irish parliamentarian Noel Rock told the BBC that, before his arrest, Mr Hickey had “stonewalled” when he was questioned about the tickets scandal.

“Until then, the presumption of innocence prevails”, the committee said in a statement.

Police have not questioned other officials of the International Olympic Committee, which is ready to give any assistance to Brazilian authorities, he said.

A judge-led inquiry will be held into the Olympics ticketing affair which has reportedly seen an arrest warrant issued for Ipswich Town Football Club’s owner, Marcus Evans.

He faces charges of involvement in a ticket scam, ambush marketing and conspiracy over the sale of Rio Olympics tickets at inflated prices.

“The OCI will now commission its own independent inquiry into the ticketing arrangements for Rio 2016”.

THE OLYMPIC COUNCIL of Ireland (OCI) are due to meet this weekend for the first time to discuss the extraordinary revelations of the past week.