PIC: Leaked e-mail to Pat Hickey says Shane Ross needs to be “put back in his box”

Wow.

Police in Brazil have released evidence of an e-mail sent to President of the Irish Olympic Council Pat Hickey, saying that Minister for Sport Shane Ross needs to be “put back in his box”. Hickey was arrested this morning as part of an investigation into the unauthorised reselling of Olympic tickets and had his passport, accreditation and plane tickets seized as a result. Brazilian police are currently investigating evidence in relation to the investigation, including an email that purports to be from the Irish Olympic legal counsel to Pat Hickey including a line about Sports Minister Shane Ross, saying he needs to be "put back in his box". The email includes advice from a senior counsel. You can read the mail in full below (via @tariqpanja). Email reads:

Following is advice of _______ who is the senior counsel I spoke to last night who is an expert in this area:

1. In general, Shane Ross needs to be “put back in his box”. You should say that at the moment an Irishman has been charged by the Brazilian authorities and is fundamentally entitled to due process and to the presumption of innocence.

2. You should highlight how inappropriate it is for politicians to be working to a political agenda (for example by saying in the media that these tickets were “on the black market”) when a judicial process is currently underway.

3. The OCI is an autonomous organisation and is currently conducting its own investigation into the matter and will do free of any outside interference. The OCI appointment of Pro10 as the OCI’s ATR leading to the arrest of Mr. Mallon and for this reason it is inappropriate and unnecessary for any external people to be appointed to its investigation.

4. While the OCI will be happy to make public the findings of its own investigation (and it is currently awaiting answers from ROCOG, the IOC and Pro10), it must for now be extremely careful not to release any information into the public domain any information which could potentially “taint” the judicial process currently underway in Brazil.

5. It is of the utmost importance that proper procedures are followed in this matter. If a committee of parliament (whether PAC or the Transport, Tourism and Sport Committee or any other Committee) wishes to investigate this matter then that Committee needs to corresponde with the OCI’s solicitors setting out (i) the legal basis for such investigation and (ii) the terms of reference and the OCI will respond accordingly.