Pat Hickey, who is no longer the acting president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, has released a statement from Brazil to confirm that he intends to fight all of the charges laid against him by Brazilian authorities.
He has also stated that he is not under house arrest, as has been widely reported, has reconfirmed his innocence and has thanked the "thousands" of Irish people who have lent their support, along with figures across the sporting world.
Here is the statement in full, via Today FM News:
Pat Hickey releases statement saying he will "fight all charges" against him and that he's "completely innocent" pic.twitter.com/NqRQ5KbJ2n
— Today FM News (@TodayFMNews) September 11, 2016
Earlier this week, Judge Juliana Leal de Melo from the Special Court for Supporters and Large Events accepted the charges laid against ten defendants, two of whom are Pat Hickey and Kevin Mallon. They have been charged with criminal organisation, ticket touting, ambush marketing, larceny, money laundering, and tax evasion.
The other men charged alongside Mallon and Hickey are named Marcus Paul Evans, Michael Glynn, Ken Murray, Eamonn Collins, Maarten Van Os, David Patrick Gilmore, Martin Studd, and Barbara Zancope Carnieri.
The legal process is expected to take a very long time, and could be a year-and-a-half before the Rio court comes to a decision.
More to follow
