Brazilian police have arrested Europe's top Olympic official in an early morning raid of his beachfront hotel in Rio de Janeiro, in connection with an investigation into ticket touting at the Games. He later temporarily stepped down from his position as executive board member on the International Olympic Committee, president of the European Olympic Committee and vice-president of the Association of National Olympic Committees. The Olympic Council of Ireland said Hickey, its president, was stepping aside from all his Olympic functions until the matter was fully resolved. "Let's wait and see what the allegations regarding Mr Hickey are," IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters. During the World Cup, police arrested high-level figures of the official Cup corporate hospitality provider for funnelling tickets to touters.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 17, 2016 20:15 UTC