Hickey denied bail in Rio court over alleged ticket touting
A judge in Brazil has denied bail to Pat Hickey as he faces allegations of illegal resale of tickets for the Olympics.
Mr Hickey has stepped aside temporarily as president of the Olympic Council of Ireland following his arrest earlier this week.
Mr Hickey was questioned by police in Rio de Janeiro overnight.
He left the Samaritano Hospital, in the suburb of Barra, last night in a wheelchair and was driven by the Civil Police to the Carlos Eboli Criminal Institute in downtown Rio.
here, he gave a statement to the inspector leading the investigation, Aloysio Falcão for several hours.
He left the institute in the back seat of a police car, hiding from photographers.
It is understood that he was then taken to a processing centre at Police City in Jacaré in the city’s north zone.
The Civil Police is also now referring his case to Polinter, an inter-state investigations unit.
A decision will then be made whether or not to transfer Mr Hickey to the same Bangu prison where the Irish director of international sports hospitality company THG Sports, Kevin Mallon who was arrested on 5 August, is being held.
Brazilian police detained Mr Mallon and Barbara Carnieri who was working as an interpreter at the Rio Olympics on charges of fraudulent marketing of tickets for the Games.
It is likely that the decision by Justice Claudio Brandao of the Court of Justice to deny the bail application by Mr Hickey will be appealed to a higher court.
Background to the tickets controversy
Meanwhile, details on the format of an independent inquiry to be carried out into the Olympic ticket controversy are expected to be announced by Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross later today.
The minister is to meet Attorney General Máire Whelan to consider the options open to the Government.
Speaking on his return to Ireland last night from the Olympics in Rio, Mr Ross said the inquiry must be led by someone entirely independent to provide credibility.
The minister also said the OCI would have to accept any inquiry carried out here.
