Timeline of the Rio ticket-touting scandal
SEPTEMBER 2010: Olympic Council of Ireland appoints the Marcus Evans Group, owned by Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans, as its ticket agent for the London 2012 Games and 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. It says James Sinton will run THG Sports Tours Ltd, set up earlier that year by Evans. APRIL 2011: Pat Hickey states in a promotional video that the Marcus Evans Group would have ‘first refusal’ on Irish contracts after 2014.
NOVEMBER: Pat Hickey resigns from a government taskforce on the London Games, criticising Tourism Ireland’s attitude to plans for an Irish House in London for the Games. Tourism Ireland had rejected a pitch by Hickey’s son, Stephan – then a THG employee – seeking €300,000 for the project. MARCH 2012: The OCI announces plans for an Irish House in London in association with THG. VIP hospitality packages go on sale for £150.
OCTOBER: Brazilian senator and former footballer Romário alleges Pat Hickey abused his position to ensure the licence to sell tickets for Rio went to THG. Hickey dismisses the claims. JUNE 2014: THG’s James Sinton is arrested in Rio at the World Cup, accused of illegally selling hospitality packages. He pays a bail bond and leaves Brazil. He has not returned.
DECEMBER: THG loses its licence as an Authorised Ticket Reseller (ATR) for Rio. The Brazilian National Olympic Organising Committee states that THG, or any firm linked to the Marcus Evans Group, are
not permitted to sell tickets. Rio police said last month they were told THG’s application was sponsored by the OCI.
FEBRUARY 2015: Cosan Lubricants and Specialties, one of Brazil’s largest motor oil manufacturers, sues thG claiming it was sold olympic hospitality packages without proper accreditation.
APRIL 20: Eamonn Collins, Michael Glynn and Ken Murray form KMEPRO Ltd. Former professional footballer Collins is now a football agent with former Ipswich stars on his books. He has a number of other links to Ipswich and is a former teammate of one key Ipswich executive. MAY 20: Pro10 Sports management registered as a business name by KmePro Ltd.
DECEMBER: OCI announces Pro10 as its ATR for Rio. Pro10 has since confirmed to the MoS there was no tender, and only two months elapsed from application to the award of the contract. A phone number cited on the press release diverts to a voicemail operated by the Marcus Evans Group, which Pro10 claims is an entirely separate and unrelated entity.
FEBRUARY 2016: Family members of Irish olympians have reported difficulties in getting through to Pro10. When they do, they are told most tickets are already sold out. AUGUST 3: Pat Hickey emails Marcus Evans and offers him Ireland’s entire allocation of tickets for Rio opening and closing ceremonies.
AUGUST 5: Games open in rio and Kevin mallon, Dublin finance director of thG, is arrested in rio with some 800 tickets, including for the opening and closing ceremonies. he is charged for alleged involvement in an illegal ticket-selling scheme. Police claim the scam could have netted up to €3m.
AUGUST 10: Hickey, who has claimed the OCI no longer had any association sTUcK: thG executive Kevin mallon must remain in Brazil with THG, receives an email from Marcus Evans seeking his views on a draft response from Pro10 to the Rio Olympics Organising Committee.
AUGUST 11: A significant proportion of mallon’s tickets were issued by the oCI. Pat hickey denies any knowledge of mallon and announces an internal oCI inquiry saying ‘there has been no impropriety whatsoever from… the oCI’. AUGUST 12: Pro10 claims Mallon was distributing tickets to its clients on its behalf as it did not have its own representative in Rio. AUGUST 14: Sports minister Shane ross travels to rio to meet hickey who refuses to answer any of his questions and rejects a request for an independent member to take part in the oCI inquiry. hickey describes the meeting as ‘excellent’. AUGUST 15: Brazilian police request international arrest warrants for Marcus Evans and three directors of his firms: Martin Studd, Maarten van Os and Irish man David Gilmore. They face charges of facilitating touting, conspiracy and illegal marketing.
AUGUST 17: Pat hickey is arrested at his rio hotel. his wife reportedly tells police he has left the country but he is found in his son’s hotel room. Police seek arrest warrants for Pro10’s directors alleging it was set up to circumvent the ban on thG reselling tickets. Police say hickey’s phone and computer show email exchanges between him and evans.
AUGUST 19: Mr Ross announces a judge-led inquiry. OCI, THG and Pro10 agree to cooperate. Hickey is deemed a flight risk and denied bail. He is brought from hospital to a police station, then Bangu Prison, where he is put in a cell with Kevin Mallon. AUGUST 22: A meeting of the oCI attended by John Delaney and Willie o’Brien decides that a report should be compiled by an independent auditor and presented to the Government. AUGUST 27: Kevin Mallon is released from Bangu Prison on bail.
AUGUST 30: After 11 days in prison, Pat hickey is also released on bail and retreats to an apartment in rio provided by the oCI.
SEPTEMBER 6: As disquiet grows among OCI grassroots organisations, Bernard O’Byrne, head of Basketball Ireland, circulates a letter to the heads of affiliated bodies demanding answers from the OCI and asking ‘Do we support Pat Hickey?’
SEPTEMBER 9: A Brazilian judge accepts charges against Pat hickey, Kevin mallon, eamonn Collins, michael Glynn, Ken murray and five others. hickey and mallon are only ones in Brazil and they will face trial on charges of ticket touting, ambush marketing, theft, tax evasion, money laundering, and criminal association. 2018: The OCI has already agreed that THG will act as its ATR for the PyeongChang Winter Games in South Korea. 2020: thG is set to manage the oCI’s ticket allocation for tokyo 2020. It is understood the agreement was in place before the ticketing scandal erupted in rio.