Ticket scandal Olympic boss fails to attend Irish committee hearing

THE man at the centre of the Rio Olympic ticketing scandal has been criticised for failing to appear before a powerful oversight committee in Dublin.

The Republic’s sports minister Shane Ross said it was “inconsistent” that Ireland’s former Olympic boss Pat Hickey answered questions to the media but failed to discuss his involvement in alleged illegal ticket sales with the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Mr Hickey declined to attend the special hearing on the grounds that it could interfere with his right to receiving a fair trial in Brazil.

During a meeting of the committee yesterday the minister said an inquiry by Mr Justice Carroll Moran had exposed the “shameful standards of corporate governance” of Mr Hickey.

He added that Mr Hickey triumphed commerce over competitors as president of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI).

Mr Ross said the OCI and Mr Hickey showed “utter disregard for the interests of athletes, their family and friends, and Irish spectators generally”.

The inquiry into the Rio 2016 Olympic Games ticket touting controversy was sparked after Mr Hickey, the former OCI chief, was arrested and detained in prison in Brazil on accusations of ticket touting, running a cartel and illicit marketing.

The Moran report strongly criticised the relationship between Mr Hickey and THG, a sports hospitality firm.

A senior executive at THG was arrested in Rio last year carrying tickets that came from the OCI and Pro10.

Pro10 was the authorised reseller or distributor of tickets for the OCI after THG’s bid was rejected by the Rio organising committee.

Mr Hickey, who is back in Ireland but awaiting trial in Brazil, has said the inquiry contained significant inaccuracies.

Mr Ross said it would have been useful for Mr Hickey to explain his claims.