The Olympic Council of Ireland "denied any knowledge of alleged touting after its name was pictured on tickets seized by police" as they arrested two individuals allegedly linked to a company owned by League Championship side Ipswich Town Owner Marcus Evans, according to Watts & Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. The OCI said,
“The Olympic Council of Ireland has no knowledge of the two individuals arrested. The OCI has launched an immediate investigation with our ATR [authorized ticket reseller], Pro10, into how the individuals were allegedly in possession of OCI allocated tickets. The OCI strictly adheres to the IOC regulations around ticket allocation, sale and re-sale. We are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness." It is understood that the company concerned "is not the authorised reseller for Ireland’s Olympic tickets." Each national Olympic committee "receives an allocation to sell with hospitality." The deal the Irish did for London 2012 "was with Evans." Brazilian police said on Monday that they had "arrested the two alleged Olympic ticket touts who work for the British corporate hospitality company THG."
The two suspects, named by authorities as the Irishman Kevin James Mallon and the Brazilian Barbara Carnieri, "are accused of criminal conspiracy, ambush marketing and facilitating touting." There is no suggestion that Evans "is connected in any way to these activities" (GUARDIAN, 8/8).
