Gardaí unable to act on warrants for firm directors
The Irish Examiner understands the force is prepared to meet the Interpol request as part of the ongoing Olympics investigation, but cannot legally do so until it is authorised by the Department of Justice and the High Court.
On Monday, Rio police issued international arrest warrants for David Patrick Gilmore, 35; Marcus Paul Bruce Evans, 52; Maarten Van Os, 45; and Martin Studd, 49.
The warrants have been issued in response to the widening ticket touting controversy in Brazil, which saw Irishman Kevin James Mallon arrested over his alleged role in the illegal re-selling of up to 1,000 hospitality tickets worth almost €3m.
Police in Brazil made it clear in official statements that they want any country in which the four individuals currently reside to act on the warrants immediately.
However, the gardaí are unable to do so at this stage because the lack of an extradition agreement with Brazil means they must wait before being authorised to act by the Department of Justice, which must apply to enact the warrants in Ireland to the High Court — a situation which could take a number of months.
A spokesperson for Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and a separate Department of Justice spokesperson also declined to comment on the growing situation as for legal reasons the minister never expresses a view in relation to individual extradition requests.
However, Garda sources confirmed that under long-standing Interpol-related agreements they will act on the Interpol request and will arrest and detain the individuals should they be authorised to do so.
While British man Mr Studd has no direct links to Ireland, Mr Gilmore is a Galway-born solicitor based in Drumcondra, Dublin, with directorships in four separate Irish-based firms owned by Mr Evans.
These are THG Sports Tours, THG Hospitality, Federation Events Tickets and Incentives and Marcus Evans Group Services, all of which are based at 7 Exchange Place, IFSC.
British man Mr Evans, the owner and chairman of English Championship team Ipswich Town Football Club, is not based in Ireland but has directorships in three firms in this country.
These are THG Sports Tours, Marcus Evans Group Services and Leinster Events, the latter of which has an address at 20 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2.
In the directorships filed with the Companies Registration Office, Mr Evans has given his address as the five-star Four Seasons Hotel, Simmonscourt Rd, Dublin 4.
Mr Van Os, the fourth man being sought in the warrants, is based in Hoofddorp in the Netherlands.
However, he also has directorships in three Irish registered firms, namely THG Hospitality, Federation Events Tickets and Incentives and Leinster Events.
Meanwhile, Mr Evans gave his Irish address as the five-star Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin in company files registered in this country.
The reclusive businessman, who is from Bury in Britain but spends the majority of his time outside of the country for tax reasons, gave the address in various documents filed between 2010 and 2014.
The same company documents also show Irishman Mr Gilmore is a solicitor working with the THG and is a registered director of a number of the companies’ subsidiaries in other parts of the world.
Meanwhile, separate company accounts show Pro 10 - the unconnected company also involved in the Olympics ticket touting controversy - was only registered on May 20, 2015 despite winning the a licence to sell tickets at the Rio games.
The firm, with an address in Lucan, Co Dublin, was registered by KMEPRO Ltd, a previously unknown firm with an address at 36 Fitzwilliam Square in Dublin City.
