The Olympic Council of Ireland and THG, the agency at the center of the Rio ticketing scandal, "agreed to terminate contracts," according to the IRISH INDEPENDENT. The OCI was "tied into contracts" with THG until '26 after the firm struck a deal with former OCI President Pat Hickey in Jan '16. But following mediation carried out by former Supreme Court of Ireland Judge Joseph Finnegan, those contracts have "been terminated." A statement from the OCI read, "OCI accepts that these contracts were enforceable as between the parties and that THG fully intended performing its contractual obligations. Both parties agreed that with THG reducing its business activities in Ireland that this would be the most appropriate course of action in the interests of Irish athletes and the wider Irish public" (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 10/17). RTÉ reported a spokesperson for the OCI said that the terms of the agreement to terminate the contracts are confidential. The spokesperson "would not be drawn" on whether or not THG was financially compensated for the termination of the contracts. A report into alleged ticket touting at the 2016 Rio Olympics found that the seller appointed by the OCI "was not genuine and provided an inadequate and chaotic service" (RTÉ, 10/17). In Dublin, Elaine Edwards reported Hickey stepped aside last year after the "best part of three decades leading the OCI following his arrest as part of a Brazilian inquiry into the handling of tickets for the Rio Olympics." He denied any wrongdoing. THG was not "granted permission" to serve as Ireland's authorized ticket reseller for the Rio Games and the organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games "also rejected the idea of THG taking the role" (IRISH TIMES, 10/17).
