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Brazil Frees THG Boss Mallon, But Hickey Still In Prison Over Ticket Scam Charges

THG Sports said that Dir Kevin Mallon, who was arrested by police in Rio over an alleged ticket touting operation, "has been released from preventative detention," according to Jamie Doward of the London GUARDIAN. Mallon had been in custody in Brazil since Aug. 5 "after being arrested in relation to Olympic tickets seized in a Rio hotel -- some of which were part of the Irish allocation and were for the opening and closing ceremonies and the football final." The Olympic Council of Ireland’s authorized ticket reseller "is Dublin-based PRO10 Sports Management." THG insists that "it had legitimate customers for its tickets and that Mallon was acting as their collection agent, meeting clients." THG and PRO10 "deny any wrongdoing over ticket sales." Mallon had been held alongside OCI President Pat Hickey, whose family last week urged the Irish government to intervene over his "degrading and humiliating" ordeal (GUARDIAN, 8/27). In London, Jess Staufenberg wrote the pair "were held after emails" between Hickey and THG execs allegedly revealed a plan to sell Olympic tickets at inflated prices. Police said that such an operation was set to earn members of THG and the OCI as much as R$10M ($3M) in profit. Yet on Saturday, the Superior Court of Justice in Brazil granted an injuction authorizing the release of Mallon. A spokesperson for Brazilian prison service SEAP said that prison officials "were just waiting for the order to arrive from the courts." The spokesperson said that they were unsure yet whether the documents would give Mallon "permission to return to Ireland yet" (INDEPENDENT, 8/27).

FREE TO GO: REUTERS' Rodrigo Viga Gaier wrote a source in the Rio state security services said that a Rio court "will return the passports of three members" of the OCI and they will be allowed to leave Brazil. The passports "were seized by Brazilian police" as part of an investigation into allegations of an illegal Olympics ticketing scam. The source said that OCI Treasurer Kevin Kilty, Secretary-General Dermot Henihan and Exec Dir Stephen Martin "have collaborated with the police in the investigation and would be able to return to Ireland." The source said, "There is no longer the necessity to keep them here" (REUTERS, 8/27).

HICKEY FAMILY SPEAKS OUT
: The BELFAST TELEGRAPH reported the family of a senior Olympics official being detained without charge in a Rio prison over an alleged ticket touting operation has condemned his "degrading and humiliating" ordeal. Hickey's family "broke their silence to demand the Irish government urgently intervene as fears mount over his physical and mental health." Through a solicitor, Hickey's family said that "they are extremely concerned about the manner of his arrest, his detention in the high security Bangu prison and the impact on his health." They also voiced worries about "pre-trial disclosure of what is purported to be evidence to the media" and Hickey's "right to a fair hearing, given the prejudicial way in which he has been treated to date." Family solicitor Anne Marie James said, "This arrest and detention occurred over seven days ago and still no charges have been brought, nor has an appropriate venue for a bail application been made available to Pat Hickey" (BELFAST TELEGRAPH, 8/26). In Dublin, Ronan McGreevy wrote James said the manner in which the Brazilian authorities had treated Hickey was an "outrageous breach of his fundamental human rights" and coverage of his arrest and detention had been a "one-sided hatefest." She said, "He is in a prison cell. He has not been charged with anything. These are accusations based on the flimsiest of assumptions" (IRISH TIMES, 8/27).

'BIG CHIEF'
: Also in Dublin, Tom Hennigan wrote police in Rio said that testimony from two OCI officials indicated that Hickey "was in charge of the organisation’s ticketing." Police Chief Ronaldo de Oliviera said that testimony from Kilty and Martin "ratifies what we already have." He said, "They confirmed the role of Patrick Hickey as the big chief of this gang. This was very important. That all the actions were carried out by him." Asked if the two men had accused Hickey of criminal behavior, De Oliveira "clarified his remarks." He said, "No, in charge of operations involving tickets. The police are working to prove that he [Hickey] carried out criminal acts" (IRISH TIMES, 8/26).

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