Inquiry Finds No Evidence Of Criminal Activity By Former OCI President Hickey

A judge-led inquiry in the Republic of Ireland into the Olympic ticketing scandal "has failed to find any evidence of criminal activity or financial impropriety" on the part of former Olympic Council of Ireland President Pat Hickey, according to Kevin Doyle of the BELFAST TELEGRAPH. A "report to be published in the coming days is hugely critical" of Hickey for his governance of the organization. But it "falls short of identifying any money trail" that would suggest Hickey was involved in ticket touting. OCI CEO Stephen Martin was one of three Irish officials to have their passports, phones and laptops seized by police in Rio as "part of the probe into alleged illegal ticket sales." However, his passport was later handed back and there is no suggestion he "was guilty of any wrongdoing." In his final report, Judge Carroll Moran "repeatedly lamented that his investigation was severely hampered" by a lack of cooperation from "key players" including Hickey and the IOC (BELFAST TELEGRAPH, 8/8).