A JUDGE IN Rio de Janeiro has accepted charges against Pat Hickey and Kevin Mallon.

In a decision, published last night, Judge Juliana Leal de Melo, from the Special Court for Supporters and Large Events accepted charges, which were forwarded by public prosecutor Marcus Kac on Tuesday.

The 10 defendants – including Mallon and Hickey –  are charged with criminal organisation, ticket touting, ambush marketing, larceny, money laundering, and tax evasion.

Also charged with Hickey and Mallon are co-defendants Michael Glynn, Ken Murray, Eamonn Collins, Maarten Van Os, David Patrick Gilmore, Martin Studd, and Barbara Zancope Carnieri.

The judge ordered that the passports of Hickey and Mallon be retained, and both be impeded from leaving Brazil, for the foreseeable future.

It is expected that it could be around one and a half years before a court case in Rio de Janeiro reaches fruition. Sources have suggested that the passports of the two Irish men could be returned in this interim, but any such decision rests with the Brazilian judiciary.

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