Patrick Hickey has officially resigned from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), more than six years after he suspended himself following his arrest during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, in 2016.
Hickey was an IOC member since 1995 and voluntarily stood down from his role after being arrested on alleged ticket scalping charges during the 2016 Games.
The IOC said in a statement: “In accordance with Rule 16.3.1 of the Olympic Charter, the IOC Executive Board (EB) accepted the resignation of Mr Hickey for health reasons following the advice of his doctors.
“The IOC EB would like to thank Mr Hickey for all the services to the Olympic Movement over many years, and wishes him all the very best for his health and his private life.”
Hickey’s case is still yet to be heard by the Brazilian courts, with the Irishman denying any wrongdoing. He faced charges of theft, tax evasion, money laundering and criminal association after hundreds of tickets to Rio Olympic events were seized by police. He spent time in Rio’s Bangu maximum security prison before being released on health grounds. However, he was unable to return home until December 2016 as his passport was retained.
Charges of tax evasion regarding ticket touting and the use of Rio 2016 logos, products and services for economic advantage without the correct permissions, against Hickey and Kevin Mallon, a director of THG Sports (which was the IOC’s official ticket reseller) were dropped in October last year. Remaining charges still carry significant jail terms, but many believe that the case will never come to court after so long.
Hickey was criticised but cleared of criminal wrongdoing by a report from Justice Cearbhall Moran in 2017, which was commissioned by the Irish Government.
Mallon, who had signed an unauthorised contract with Hickey that lasted until 2026, is also still waiting for his case to be heard in Brazil.
According to insidethegames, Hickey was able to return home after securing a significant loan from the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), where he was a vice-president, to post bail. It is not known if the €410,000 (£353,000/$431,000) was ever repaid.