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Patrick Hickey: European Olympic Committees head 'arrested in Rio' | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The head of the European Olympic Committees, Patrick Hickey, has been arrested in Rio over illegal Olympic ticket sales, Brazilian media report. | |
Mr Hickey, 71, is suspected of illegally passing on tickets for the Games to be sold on at extortionate prices, the reports say. | |
His arrest comes days after a man was caught in Rio with 800 illegal tickets. | His arrest comes days after a man was caught in Rio with 800 illegal tickets. |
Police say Mr Hickey, who also heads the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), tried to escape when they came for him. | |
They say he slid his Olympic pass under the door when police came knocking and fled into the adjacent hotel room, where his son had been staying until recently. | |
After he was arrested he was taken ill and received medical attention, reports say. | |
Brazilian media believe Mr Hickey's arrest is related to that of fellow Irishman Kevin James Mallon on the day of the opening ceremony. | |
Mr Mallon is the director of THG Sports, a sports hospitality company alleged to have resold tickets for Rio 2016 illegally. | |
When he was arrested on 5 August, he was found to be in possession of more than 800 top-class tickets for the Games. | |
Police suspect they were to be sold at prices of up to £6,000 ($7,800) each. | |
THG said Mr Mallon had not sold or sought to sell tickets but had been holding them for collection by clients of the Irish authorised ticket reseller, Pro 10 Management. | |
The OCI said it would launch an inquiry into the ticket sale controversy but has been criticised for rejecting a call to bring in independent investigators. | |
Last week, the OCI wrote on its website there was "absolutely no suggestion of misconduct or impropriety" by the OCI or any of its staff. |