RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilian prosecutors have charged Patrick Hickey and Kevin MAllon over an alleged Rio 2016 Olympic Games ticketing scam.

Hickey is a member of the executive board of the International Olympic Committee, president of the European Olympic Committees and head of the Olympic Council of Ireland; he was arrested at his hotel during the Games last month.

Mallon is the Dublin-based director of THG Sports, a corporate and sports hospitality company.

Prosecutor Marcus Kac has submitted the charges laid against Hickey and Mallon to a judge who will decide whether there is a case to answer. Hickey is accused of four offences including ticket touting and acting as part of a criminal organisation.

Both men, who were released from detention last week, have denied any wrongdoing.

Hickey, 71, has formally stood aside from his Olympic roles pending an outcome.

Another eight men were also listed on the charge sheet, RTÉ News reported.

Speaking to the Irish national broadcaster, Kac said the judicial process could take as long as two years before the case came to court. He said it was very possible the passports of Mr Hickey and Mr Mallon would be returned to them, on the expectation they would come back to the country when the case reached court.

In a statement, the Hickey family said: “Our dad, Pat Hickey, will not be making any comment in the police station at his pre-arranged questioning.

“He will be invoking his constitutional right to silence because the Brazilian police have released documents to the media that Pat’s lawyers have had no access to.”

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