Hickey to accept conditions and pay bail

Pat Hickey’s lawyer in Rio de Janeiro said this afternoon that Mr Hickey would fully accept the terms laid down by a judge this week in order to liberate his passport.

Mr Hickey, former head of the Olympic Council of Ireland, is among ten people facing charges related to an investigation into alleged ticket touting at Rio 2016.

He has denied all allegations made against him.

Although he was released almost two weeks after being arrested in August, Brazilian officials retained Mr Hickey’s passport.

Justice Juliana Leal de Melo of the Special Court for Supporter and Large Events in Rio de Janeiro, which had jurisdiction during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, ruled earlier this week that Mr Hickey can be allowed to leave Brazil “to treat a health problem”.

Mr Hickey, 71, must pay a bond to the court of €410,000 (1.5m Brazilian dollars).

His lawyer Arthur Lavigne today said Mr Hickey would “accept the conditions” and “will deposit the money” stipulated by the judge.

However, he was not sure who exactly would pay the money to be lodged to the court in order for the passport to be returned.

A spokesperson for the Olympic Council of Ireland yesterday said the OCI would not be paying the bond.

Mr Lavigne added this afternoon that Mr Hickey is in good spirits.

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