Mr. Hickey, 71, is suspected of illegally passing on tickets for the Games to be sold on at extortionate prices, Brazilian media report. Mr. Hickey, said to be unwell after his arrest, has not yet commented publicly. Police say the suspect, who also heads the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), tried to escape when they came for him. They say he slid his Olympic pass under the door when police came knocking and fled into the adjacent hotel room, where his son had been staying until recently. After he was arrested he was taken ill and received medical attention, reports say. Brazilian media believe Mr Hickey's arrest is related to that of fellow Irishman Kevin James Mallon on the day of the Olympic opening ceremony. Mr Mallon is the director of THG Sports, a sports hospitality company alleged to have resold tickets for Rio 2016 illegally. When Mr Mallon was arrested on 5 August, he was found to be in possession of more than 800 top-class tickets for the Police suspect they were to be sold at prices of up to £6,000 ($7,800) each. THG said Mr Mallon had not sold or sought to sell tickets but had been holding them for collection by clients of the Irish authorised ticket reseller, Pro 10 Management. The OCI said it would launch an inquiry into the ticket sale controversy but has been criticised for rejecting a call by the Irish Sports Minister to bring in independent investigators. Last week, the OCI wrote on its website there was "absolutely no suggestion of misconduct or impropriety" by the OCI or any of its staff. Mr Hickey was elected head of the European Olympic Committees in 2006 and has been in charge of the Olympic Council of Ireland since 1989. He has also been on the IOC executive board since 2012.
The President of the European Olympic Committee and the National Olympic Committee, Patrick Hickey of Ireland is a great friend of the Azerbaijani authorities, and was awarded a government award for organizing the first European Games in Baku in 2015.
It is possible that after the arrest of Hickey will be opened the facts of thefts in Baku, as well as partners of Hickey among the senior officials of Azerbaijan. -02D-
Politics
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On November 25, the Khatai District Court considered the complaint filed by Farid Mehralizade, an economist arrested in connection with the “Abzas Media” case. He challenged the actions of the investigative authorities during a search of his apartment and the confiscation of his belongings. According to his wife, Nargiz Muhtarova, who spoke to Turan news agency, the hearing was held without the participation of the plaintiff. The court rejected the complaint, stating that there were no violations of the law.
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Rashad Melikzade, the former head of the financial department at the Training and Education Center of the Ministry of Defense and a lieutenant colonel, has been sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison. The verdict was issued on Monday by the Baku Serious Crimes Court. The court also ordered the seizure of property belonging to Melikzade and his family, valued at 2 million manats, to compensate for the damage caused to the state.
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The Ministry of Science and Education has responded to a petition from a group of residents of the village of Boradigah in the Masally district regarding the emergency condition of the local School No. 1 named after Nizami Ganjavi. The response states that in 2021, a decision was made to carry out major repairs on the roof of the assembly and sports halls, which are located in a separate building.
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The Azerbaijani parliament has approved the formation of new municipalities through the consolidation of existing ones, aiming to enhance administrative efficiency and local governance. The move, based on amendments to the law on "Joint Activities, Mergers, Separation, and Dissolution of Municipalities," was sanctioned under Article 95 of the Constitution.
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