IOC president Thomas Bach calls for Pat Hickey’s return home

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has broken his silence on the Rio ticket-touting scandal which first rocked the Games over three months ago by calling for Pat Hickey’s release from Brazil on medical grounds.

It’s the first time Bach commented directly on the matter, despite being a close colleague of Hickey, who sits alongside the IOC president on the IOC executive committee: Hickey stepped down from that role in the immediate aftermath of his arrest in Rio back on August 17th on charges of ticket-touting, and likewise from his position as president of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) and the European Olympic Committee (EOC).

In September, Brazilian police released details of a series of text messages between Hickey and Back, which they claimed were obtained from Hickey’s phone following his arrest, and appeared to suggest Hickey had personally lobbied the IOC president for more tickets for high-profile events at the Rio Games, although there was no subsequent investigation into the matter.

Speaking yesterday to reporters at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Bach claimed he hasn’t had any personal contact with Hickey in recent weeks, and the matter was “in the hand of the Brazilian authorities at the moment”.

Bach then added: “For us it is very clear that the presumption of innocence prevails and we hope that a good solution will be found to address his (Hickey) difficult health situation. And that hopefully he can have his treatment and surgery in Ireland.”

Hickey played a key role in Bach’s election to the IOC presidency in 2013. According to Brazilian police, Hickey texted Bach in July of last year comparing the OCI ticket allocation for Rio unfavourably with the one it had received for the London Games in 2012 and sent a “wish list” of significantly more tickets for some of the Games’ most sought-after events (including the opening and closing ceremonies, the men’s football final, the men’s basketball final and the men’s 100m final). It was not made clear if Bach replied or took any action relating to Hickey’s request.

Bach’s comments follow last month’s General Assembly of the EOC, which voiced their “concern and outrage” at both his treatment by the Brazilian authorities and lack of intervention by the Irish Government; acting EOC president Janez Kocijancic told delegates: “We have studied the allegations against Patrick Hickey and from what we know he is not guilty of any criminal offence.”

Last week, the family of the 71 year-old Hickey also reiterated their calls for his release home on medical grounds, indicating he is suffering an Atrial fibrillation, and it “is our solemn wish that our dad and grandfather is allowed back to Ireland to receive urgent medical treatment for his heart condition”.

The OCI, meanwhile, have become increasingly divided, with spiralling legal and expenditure costs related to the Rio ticketing scandal now expected to exceed €750,000. Last week, a letter signed by OCI General Secretary Dermot Henihan and circulated to all of the 36 Irish sports federations affiliated with the OCI clearly suggested the brunt of that responsibility was with the three-person crisis management committee; that committee (now numbering two following the resignation of Ciarán Ó Catháin) strongly rejected that suggestion.

Hickey has been in Rio since late July, and although freed on bail, is still awaiting a trial date. His passport has been confiscated and he’s staying in an apartment paid for by the OCI, who will also cover all his legal fees should he prove innocent of all charges.

Lawyers representing Hickey are still awaiting a response from the Special Court in Rio de Janeiro, regarding the release of his passport, and liberty to leave Brazil. Last week, the prosecutor told Arthur Lavigne, senior counsel on Hickey’s legal team, that he had not made a decision because of a heavy workload, but that he had promised to analyse the case this week.

Lawyers representing Kevin Mallon, who works for the ticketing agency THG and was arrested in Rio on similar charges, have also complained that the Brazilian courts are taking too long to give him back his passport.

The public prosecutor’s office in Rio has had the file since October 14th, awaiting the opinion of presiding prosecutor Marcus Kac. Under the rules, it should have been returned to the court hearing the case within 15 days.

His lawyers lodged a further Habeas Corpus with the Rio Court of Justice, requesting two options be considered: allow Mallon leave until his court date, or to leave for 90 days.

Meanwhile the long wait for justice for both Hickey and himself continues.