A spokesperson for the Olympic Council of Ireland has said it will not be paying the €410,000 bond which Pat Hickey is required to pay as a condition of having his passport returned and being allowed to leave Brazil on medical grounds.

The OCI says it is a personal matter for Mr Hickey. The OCI is currently paying Mr Hickey's legal fees.

A judge in Brazil last night ruled that the former OCI president is to be given back his passport and permitted to leave the country.

Justice Juliana Leal de Melo of the Special Court for Supporter and Large Events in Rio de Janeiro, which had jurisdiction during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, ruled that Mr Hickey can be allowed to leave Brazil "to treat a health problem".

Mr Hickey, 71, must pay a bond to the court of €410,000 (1.5m Brazilian dollars).

He is among ten people facing charges related to an investigation into alleged ticket touting at Rio 2016. He has denied all allegations made against him.

Although he was released almost two weeks after his arrest in August, Brazilian officials retained Mr Hickey's passport.

Lawyers for Irish man Kevin Mallon, who has also been charged in this case and had his passport seized after his arrest in August, are expected to meet the relevant judge to reiterate a request for the return of Mr Mallon's passport.

There was no mention in the judge's decision on Mr Hickey last night regarding the return of Mr Mallon's passport, but his legal team say this is not of concern to them.

Sao Paulo based lawyer Franklin Gomes said that the judge has not yet considered his plea to allow Mr Mallon to leave Brazil and that he will travel to Rio in the coming days to speak personally to the judge.

The Minister for Transport has said he could not comment on the developments as a Government Inquiry is ongoing.

Shane Ross said the decision had obviously been made on humanitarian grounds, and declined to comment on news that the OCI would not be paying Mr Hickey's bail bond.

Mr Ross said he hoped Mr Hickey would co-operate with the Inquiry on his return.

He said he had no plans to meet with Mr Hickey.

Brazilian police carrying out money laundering inquiry

Meanwhile, police in Rio have said they are investigating all of those named in the Olympic ticketing inquiry in a separate money laundering inquiry.

While civil police completed their criminal investigation into ticket touting allegations a month ago, the second inquiry is ongoing.

Detective Ricardo Barbosa from Rio Civil Police Special Fraud Unit said it was not currently known when this secondary inquiry would be completed.