(ATR) The Association of National Olympic Committees will loan Patrick Hickey the money to pay for the bail that will bring the return of his passport and the ability to travel home to Ireland from Rio de Janeiro.
A statement from ANOC said the loan was made "on humanitarian grounds," to support Hickey. ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah and five vice-presidents voted unanimously to support Hickey.
On Nov. 16 a Brazilian judge ruled that Hickey's passport be returned so he could travel to Ireland for treatment of a heart condition.But the court said that Hickey would need to pay bail of $439,000 as part of the condition of his release.
Around the Rings is told that the court has not received confirmation that the bail has been paid.
Hickey was arrested by police in Rio de Janeiro during the last week of the Olympics, charged with breaking Brazilian laws over the sale of tickets to the Olympics allocated to the Olympic Council of Ireland. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Hickey, who was president of the Olympic Council of Ireland and an IOC member, voluntarily suspended himself from those positions shortly after his arrest.
Hickey was jailed for about one week and then released. Since then he has been living in an apartment in Rio but unable to travel without his seized passport. With the court ruling that the passport could be returned, Hickey has been seeking a way to make the bail.
The Olympic Council of Ireland, while paying for Hickey's legal team and living expenses in Rio has refused to pay the bail.
Hickey was also the senior vice president of ANOC, which met two weeks ago in Doha, Qatar for its annual general assembly, but took no action at the meeting regarding a loan for Hickey. The ANOC statement says the loan was agreed to by the five ANOC vice presidents in a postal vote initiated Nov. 20.
"The payment was made as a temporary loan so that Patrick Hickey could meet his bail requirements and return to Ireland where he can receive medical treatment for a heart condition," says the statement from ANOC.
"The terms of the temporary loan make it clear that it must be repaid to ANOC in full. For legal reasons, all other terms and conditions surrounding this bail payment will remain confidential."
While in Brazil, Hickey’s health reportedly declined, and the Olympic family called for the return of his passport. Acting European Olympic Committees President Janez Kocijancic told Around the Rings that "[Hickey] is trying to be strong" but his current state "is rather weak. A statement from the IOC said it "would be preferable that the needed treatment [for Hickey was] administered in Ireland.
As part of Hickey’s release he will be required to return to Brazil for a trial on charges of ticket touting, forming a cartel, and illegally marketing the Rio 2016 Olympics. If convicted he could face up to seven years in prison. No date for a trial has been set.
Homepage photo: Getty Images
Written by Aaron Bauer
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