Patrick Hickey, Europe’s most prominent Olympic official, has been released from prison in Brazil, but has been ordered to stay in the country as an investigation into an alleged ticketing scheme continues.
Yesterday (Monday), Judge Fernando Antonio de Almeida accepted a request made by Hickey’s lawyers to allow him to walk out of Rio’s Bangu prison complex, where he has been held since August 19.
Hickey, who has been accused of being involved in a scheme that allowed hundreds of tickets to enter the black market during the recent Rio Olympics, must remain in Brazil and hand over his passport.
Police have claimed that tickets were illegally given to a vendor who was not authorised to sell them.
Hickey, the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, has stepped down from his role as an International Olympic Committee member on a temporary basis.
Hickey is also the head of the European Olympic Committees group and serves as vice-president of the Association of National Olympic Committees.
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