The Executive Council of the Olympic Council of Ireland met in Dublin into the small hours of this morning. They gathered at the offices of the Dublin law firm, Arthur Cox, who they appointed on Friday to assist them through these torrid times.
Three members of the 12 strong group were not available.
President Pat Hickey is in jail at Bangu prison in Rio pending another court hearing on Tuesday, while Honorary General Secretary Dermot Lenihan from Rowing and Honorary Treasurer Kevin Kilty from Shooting also remain in Brazil.
They are two of the six named in court documents that the Brazilian authorities are seeking to assist them in their inquiry, and whose passports are being sought.
John Delaney from the FAI and William O’Brien representing Archery are two of the others along with Hickey’s Personal Assistant Linda O’Reilly and CEO and Double Olympic medallist Stephen Martin.
The Committee appointed a three person group to head up the OCI response to the storm swirling around it on two continents.
They are Sarah Keane, CEO of Swim Ireland and a qualified solicitor; Ciaran O’Cathain, former President of Athletics Ireland and filling the same role at the Institute of Technology in Athlone; and Robert Norwood representing Snowsports on the Olympic Council.
All three are among the shortest serving members of the Council having been elected, alongside Irish Olympian Sonia O’Sullivan, in 2014.
They will now appoint an international accountancy firm to conduct an independent review of ticketing arrangements in Rio. The firm will be selected this week and its work will begin immediately.
Its terms of reference will be published and its report will be submitted to the state inquiry which is also expected to publish terms of reference, appoint a retired judge to head it, and commence work in the coming days.
There are now three formal inquiry groups considering how this mess of arrests, allegations and anger arose. The two in Ireland will though still play second fiddle to the Brazilian police inquiry which continues at break neck pace.
Mobile phones, computers and passports of OCI staff members and representatives were seized from their office in the athletes village yesterday morning.
More individuals will be questioned after Brazil’s public holiday today and Pat Hickey will also seek to have his detention order overturned as he goes before the courts again within the next 36 hours.
Even throughout yesterday the Olympic Council sought to keep the spotlight on the athletes and competitors who had performed at the Games and who took part in last night’s closing ceremony. That was a noble effort but one which, given the enormity and global media interest in matters away from the arena was always likely to seem like whistling in the wind.
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