Pat Hickey

Yesterday’s Irish Mail on Sunday

Today’s Irish Independent

Readers may recall the arrest of the former president of the Olympic Council of Ireland Pat Hickey during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 17 last year.

He was subsequently charged in connection with an alleged ticket touting scheme and spent 12 nights in Bangu prison. Following that, he spent several months in Brazil before he was able to return to Ireland in December.

He now awaits a court date in Brazil.

About a week after Mr Hickey’s arrest, the Government appointed retired judge Mr Justice Carroll Moran to conduct an inquiry into the Olympics ticketing controversy.

It’s being reported that the results of this inquiry will be published within  matter of days.

Further to this…

At the weekend, John Drennan and Valerie Shanley, in the Irish Mail on Sunday, reported:

“Transport Minister Shane Ross has warned colleagues to ‘brace themselves’ for the ‘explosive’ report into the Rio ticketing scandal which is expected to be published in the coming days.”

“…The Rio report is being treated with such sensitivity that the Cabinet has still not seen its contents. A spokesman for the Department of Sport refused to comment on the specific day it will be published.

“…one senior source, close to the Cabinet, told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Ross was utterly jittery. He informed the Cabinet that the report’s contents would be explosive. He warned it would be a case of “brace yourselves”.’

Meanwhile…

Further to this…

And Mr Hickey telling Paul Williams in an exclusive interview with Newstalk that he “will be proven innocent” in June…

In today’s Irish Independent…

Kevin Doyle reports on Judge Carroll Moran’s inquiry:

“The judge concludes that their [Pat Hickey, the International Olympic Committee and the Rio Organising Committee] failure to take part [in the inquiry] have weakened his ability to prescribe a definitive explanation for the drama.

Instead, he has produced a narrative that branches into criticism of Mr Hickey’s governance of the OCI and an annual honorarium of €60,000.

The judge suggests Mr Hickey ran the OCI as his own little fiefdom, personally using his role as president to oversee arrangements with companies like THG and PRO10 who were at the centre of the ticketing scandal.

The inquiry also had access to the OCI’s financial accounts but failed to find any significant irregularities. There was no evidence to suggest a ‘money trail’ linked to a ticket touting ring.

In effect, the report hammers Mr Hickey reputation but doesn’t find a smoking gun.

The judge has not uncovered any evidence of the criminality that is alleged by the Brazilian authorities.

Revealed: Olympics Chief Pat Hickey is cleared of criminal activity (Irish Independent)

Previously: “I Will Be Proven Innocent”