(ATR) Rio police believe the testimony provided by two Irish officials will help further the investigation into a ticketing scandal involving OCI president and IOC member Patrick Hickey and Ireland's authorized ticket reseller.
Kevin Kilty, Ireland chef de mission, and Stephen Martin, Olympic Council of Ireland chief executive spoke for four and a half hours to Rio police today. Upon their release Kilty and Martin said they were "happy to be cooperating" with the Rio police. The pair would not give any other comment regarding their statements.
Ronaldo Oliveira, head of specialized operations unit of Rio de Janeiro Civil Police, told reporters that the testimony given should prove to be helpful but will "need to be verified."
"The testimony today was very long, complex, and gave us a lot of details," Oliveira told reporters. "The testimonies did not indicate they were suspects in this investigation. We are going to check the details of the testimony that we heard, but they are being heard just as witnesses.
Oliveira said that Kilty and Martin "collaborated and confirmed" that Hickey was the "big leader" of the OCI ticket selling operation. Oliveira added that from the corroboration they are "working to prove," Hickey committed criminal acts.
Kilty and Martin’s testimony was the final ones from OCI staffers still in Rio de Janeiro. Police said earlier this week they are trying to work with Irish authorities to speak to OCI acting president Kevin O’Brien and vice-president John Delaney. O’Brien left Brazil on Aug. 20, and Delaney never came to Rio for the Olympics.
Kilty, Martin, and OCI secretary general Dermot Henihan must now wait for a court order to return their passports. Oliveira said that "[the police] will consider going tomorrow to the court" to begin the process of requesting a return on the documents.
Hickey was taken into custody August 17 on ticket touting charges. He is being held in a prison outside Rio pending trial. Hickey has temporarily resigned from his OCI and IOC functions.
Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro
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