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Industry News

Hickey team urges judge to stop publication of Irish Olympic touting report

Pat Hickey, the former president of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), and his lawyers are looking to quash the government’s push to publish a report into the Rio 2012 Olympics ticket-touting controversy.

Hickey’s lawyers claim the publication could prejudice his right to a fair trial as he is in Ireland on bail, waiting for a court date in Rio de Janeiro.

Justice Carroll Moran’s report has been submitted to Minister for Transport Shane Ross. The minister has since forwarded the contents to Attorney General Seamus Wolfe to assess what aspects of the report can be published.

“Any media reports can also be used by the prosecutor in Brazil against me,” Hickey said in an interview, according to the Irish Times newspaper.

“Now my senior counsel and junior counsel in Ireland were aghast at this … When my Brazilian lawyers confirmed this to my Irish lawyers, everyone got a big shock.”

In July 2016, Brazilian prosecutors officially charged Hickey and THG Sports director Kevin Mallon over their part in the Olympic ticket touting scandal.

Hickey and Mallon, of the ticket and hospitality operator, are among nine people facing charges of ticket touting, forming a criminal cartel, illicit marketing, embezzlement, tax evasion, and money laundering.

Hickey denied that he had a covert or concealed relationship with THG Sports, a company that was not approved by the Rio organising committee. The OCI appointed Pro10 Sports Management instead, however, Hickey was still found to have alleged links with THG after his arrest in Rio.

Police found Mallon in possession of hundreds of tickets for Olympic events, including the opening and closing ceremonies.

Hickey said there was “absolutely no concealed relationship between me and THG or any of the other sponsors, or anybody else.”

Hickey said THG Sports was “a phenomenal sponsorship and my job was to facilitate them to get the best deal possible on tickets.”

The government is reportedly eager to release the entire inquiry in full.

Image: Rafael Henrique Serra