Top Olympic official arrested in Rio read more at here http://www.spinonews.com/index.php/component/k2/item/624

Mr Hickey is president of the European Olympic Committees, the body which gathers the continent's 50 national Olympic committees together

Irishman Patrick Hickey was elected head of the European Olympic Committees in 2006 and has been in charge of the Olympic Council of Ireland since 1989.

He has also been on the International Olympic Committee's executive board since 2012.

Police in Brazil have arrested the head of the European Olympic Committees, Irishman Patrick Hickey, in Rio over illegal Olympic ticket sales.

Irishman Patrick Hickey 71, is suspected of illegally passing on tickets for the Games to be sold on at extortionate prices.

Hickey was taken ill and is currently being treated in hospital.

Police say the suspect who also heads the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) tried to escape when they came for him.

They say he slid his Olympic pass under the door when police came knocking and fled into the adjacent hotel room where his son had been staying until recently.

Brazilian media believe Mr Hickey's arrest is related to that of fellow Irishman Kevin James Mallon on the day of the Olympic opening ceremony.

Mr Mallon is the director of THG Sports, a sports hospitality company alleged to have resold tickets for Rio 2016 illegally.

When Mr Mallon was arrested on 5 August, he was found to be in possession of more than 800 top-class tickets for the Games.

 

The OCI said it would launch an inquiry into the ticket sale controversy but has been criticized for rejecting a call by the Irish Sports Minister to bring in independent investigators.