(ATR) The Olympic Council of Ireland has formed a 'crisis management' team to investigate the Rio ticketing scandal allegedly involving its president Pat Hickey.
The three-person group will "lead the council’s response to the recent events in Rio" said the OCI in a statement on Monday. The panel includes Sarah Keane of Swim Ireland, Ciaran O’Cathain of Athletics Ireland and Robert Norwood from the country’s Snowsports Association.
The OCI’s executive committee decied on the panel at at meeting on Sunday evening. "The committee discussed recent events in Rio regarding ticketing arrangements at the Games which it takes very seriously," the statement added.
An international accountancy firm will be appointed this week to conduct an independent review of the OCI’s ticketing arrangements in Rio, which were handled by authorized ticket seller Pro10. The report prepared by this company will be presented to the judge who will chair Ireland’s state inquiry into the ticketing scandal. Around 1,000 OCI tickets for the Rio Olympics were seized by Rio police on the eve of the Games.
Hickey spent another night in a Rio’s Bangu prison after last week being charged with ticket touting, forming a cartel and illicit marketing. The 71-year-old denies the charges but has stepped down from his various Olympic functions including his executive board role and as head of the European Olympic Committees pending further legal developments.
After being refused bail a few days ago, he is due to appear before a judge in Rio on Tuesday.
Brazilian police on Sunday confiscated the passports of three Irish Olympic officials after a raid on the OCI’s Olympic Village office and also searched their hotel rooms for evidence of ticket fraud. Phones, laptops and an allocation of unused official tickets were also seized but no arrests were made.
Ireland team leader Kevin Kilty, chief executive Stephen Martin and secretary general Dermot Henihan face charges of illegally selling Olympic tickets. The officials are to be questioned by police on Tuesday.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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