OCI president Pat Hickey was advised to put Shane Ross ‘in his place’
The email correspondence between Mr Hickey — who stepped aside “temporarily” from all Olympic roles due to the growing ticket touting scandal amid growing calls for an independent inquiry last night — and a Dublin-based legal firm was revealed by Brazilian police.
In a litany of evidence allegedly linking Mr Hickey to the ticket touting scandal engulfing Irish sport published yesterday, Rio police included a lengthy email to Mr Hickey from a colleague in Ireland last weekend.
After the subsequent meeting on Sunday night, Mr Hickey claimed the discussions had been “excellent”.
However, Mr Ross said he was “absolutely stunned” by Mr Hickey’s position.
The situation emerged as Mr Hickey last night “temporarily” stepped aside from all Olympic positions while investigations continue.
Speaking in Rio last night before returning immediately to Ireland to discuss what the next course of action should be, Mr Ross said the
Government remains “absolutely determined that we will set up an inquiry to find out what happened [in relation to the ticket touting claims]”.
Health Minister Simon Harris told the Irish Examiner that while it would be “inappropriate” to comment on the “very evolving story”, in general terms, he supports previous calls for an investigation to be run by the Oireachtas committee on sport.
“The idea that their families and supporters couldn’t get tickets at a time when there was something going on with tickets, we don’t know what, is something that is extraordinarily disappointing and upsetting,” Mr Harris added.
Fine Gael backbench TD and Dáil Public Accounts Committee member Noel Rock, said it is “ludicrous” for Mr Hickey to only resign “temporarily”, and that his position “is clearly no longer tenable, and that isn’t temporary”.
He added “a full external inquiry” is now needed, a position repeated by Fianna Fáil
TD Timmy Dooley, who said the OCI’s refusal to allow an independent investigation “is simply no longer tenable”.
Day of disgrace: From 6am visit by police to a minister’s return home
The Rio Civil Police Fraud Unit arrive at 6am local time at the Windsor Marapendi Hotel to arrest Olympic Council of Ireland president and International Olympic Committee vice-president Pat Hickey.
Upon entering Mr Hickey’s five-star hotel room, they find his shoes, socks, and luggage, but cannot locate the Irishman. His wife says he has already returned to Ireland.
Hotel reception confirms Mr Hickey’s son Stephen, a former THG employee, is also staying at the hotel. On entering the room, police find a naked, hiding Pat Hickey.
After being arrested in relation to the ticket-touting scandal, Mr Hickey tells police he is feeling unwell and cites an underlying heart condition. He is taken to hospital as a precaution and remained there last night under arrest.
Police video footage showing the arrest of Mr Hickey, who is given a white dressing gown to wear, is released.
The journalist who broke the story of Mr Hickey’s arrest, Jamil Chade, tweets that the IOC has suddenly withdrawn his accreditation. After public outrage, the IOC claims this was simply a “mistake”.
At a press conference at 10am local time, police in Rio de Janeiro confirm the arrest of Mr Hickey and provide evidence of contact with Marcus Evans, THG’s founder. They also display his passport, Olympic credentials, and a first-class air ticket home. They allege he is involved in a multimillion-euro conspiracy to sell OCI hospitality tickets at 18 times their face value.
Police say Mr Hickey is facing three charges of facilitating ticket touting, formation of a cartel, and ambush or illicit marketing.
Police say they are issuing new Interpol arrest warrants for three directors of Pro10 — Michael Glynn, Ken Murray, and Eamonn Collins — alleging their firm was set up last year solely to circumvent the rejection of an Olympic tickets resell licence for THG, whose directors are also sought.
Mr Glynn, Mr Collins, and Mr Murray are all connected to St Patrick’s Athletic FC, with Mr Collins — who managed them for a season — and Mr Glynn also agents for Irish players Daryl Murphy and Conor Sammon.
Sports Minister Shane Ross says he plans to return to Ireland immediately to discuss a potential independent inquiry with officials.
Timeline of events that resulted in Rio police probe
The Olympic Council of Ireland appoints THG Sports Tours, a subsidiary of the Marcus Evans Group, a sports hospitality firm run by the owner of English football club Ipswich Town, as its 2012 London Olympics official ticket seller. THG is also the official ticket seller for Greece and Malta.
OCI president Pat Hickey resigns from a Government task-force to help Ireland capitalise on the London Olympics. Prior to the resignation, it emerged Mr Hickey’s son Stephen, a THG employee at the time, had asked Tourism Ireland to provide €300,000 for a London-based “Irish House” cultural project. Tourism Ireland said the one-off funding “would make no sense”.
THG loses its Olympic ticket re-seller licence.
Kmepro Ltd is officially incorporated. Its directors are Michael Glynn, Eamonn Collins and Ken Murray. Mr Collins is ex-manager of St Patrick’s Athletic and a one-time agent for Irish internationals and Ipswich Town players Darryl Murphy and Conor Sammon. Mr Glynn is a football agent, while Mr Murray is St Pat’s former commercial manager.
Kmepro Ltd establishes Pro10 Sports Management, whose directors are Mr Glynn, Mr Collins, and Mr Murray. It is awarded the OCI’s 2016 Olympics ticket licence.
Dublin-born THG finance director Kevin James Mallon is arrested in Brazil alongside translator Barbara Carnieri over an alleged ticket touting scam. His firm, THG, insist Mr Mallon was simply in Rio for non-ticket hospitality package deals and only helping out Pro 10 as it did not have anyone in Rio.
OCI confirm an immediate investigation.
Mr Pat Hickey says he has no knowledge of Mr Mallon and doesn’t know why he had 781 OCI tickets.
At a meeting with Sports Minister Shane Ross in Rio, Mr Hickey refuses to allow an independent member onto the inquiry. Mr Ross says he is “absolutely stunned” and does not rule out a State inquiry.
A Brazilian judge refuses Mr Mallon’s bail request. Separately, Brazilian police request international arrest warrants for Mr Evans; a second Irish director and solicitor David Patrick Gilmore; Briton Martin Studd; and Dutchman Maarten Van Os.
A THG spokesperson confirms there may be a commercial relationship between the firms.
Brazilian police arrest Mr Hickey, seek arrest warrants for Pro10’s directors, and allege Pro10 was set up solely to circumvent the lack of a THG Olympics ticket licence. The claim is rejected.
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