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File photo. Martin Rickett
Pat Hickey

OCI to meet for first time since publication of report into Rio ticketing scandal

The board will discuss the legality of a contract between the OCI and THG to be Ireland’s ticket distributor until 2026.

THE OLYMPIC COUNCIL of Ireland (OCI) will hold a board meeting today for the first time since the Moran report into the ticketing affair at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Justice Carroll Moran’s report into the distribution of tickets for the Rio Olympics made no findings on whether any laws had been broken.

However it did find that Pr010, the OCI’s Authorised Ticket Reseller (ATR) for the Rio games,  merely acted to disguise the continued role of THG in the process.

THG – owned by the Marcus Evans Group – was Ireland’s ticket distributor during the 2012 London Games and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. It was rejected as an ATR by the Rio organising committee.

This led to Pro10 being appointed as the ATR for Ireland.

The Moran report found that there were multiple issues with Pro10 and the oversight of the OCI throughout the Rio Games.

Moran also said that THG, Pro10,  former OCI president Pat Hickey and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not engage fully with the investigation.

At today’s meeting the board will discuss the legality of a “pretty watertight” contract between the OCI and THG to be Ireland’s ticket distributor until 2026.

The deal, which emerged earlier this month, was struck between Hickey and THG in January 2016.

Legal proceedings involving THG and Hickey are currently ongoing in Brazil. Both deny any wrongdoing.

In a private meeting yesterday the Oireachtas committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport decided to request that Sports Minister Shane Ross commission an expansion of the non-statutory inquiry into the ticketing affair.

Comments are closed due to ongoing legal proceedings.

READ: Committee wants to know why OCI is locked into contract with company at centre of Rio scandal>

READ: OCI president gives ‘unreserved apology’ to athletes and families after Rio ticketing disaster>