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IOC to investigate Olympic ticket claims

IOC to investigate Olympic ticket claims- 18 Jun 2012 00:00:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has opened an investigation into allegations that National Olympic Committees and official agents were willing to sell thousands of London 2012 tickets on the black market.

A report from the Sunday Times claimed tickets for London 2012 events have been offered for up to 10 times their face value. 

The newspaper said that its undercover reporters posed as illegal ticket sellers from the Middle East and caught a number of officials offering up tickets. 

In response, the IOC on Saturday called an emergency meeting of its executive board after receiving evidence on 27 officials controlling tickets for 54 countries.

The IOC employs strict regulations in a bid to combat ticket touting and said it has “moved quickly” to address the allegations, adding that it would be prepared to revamp the allocation and sale of international Olympic tickets if an inquiry found that the present system is flawed. 

The IOC said in a statement: ‘After claims that several NOCs and ATRs (Authorised Ticket Resellers) were reportedly willing to break the rules by offering to buy or sell tickets outside their territory, sell tickets at inflated prices, or sell tickets to unauthorised resellers, the IOC has ordered an immediate inquiry and referred the allegations to its independent Ethics Commission.’

‘On being informed of the allegations, the IOC immediately convened an extraordinary meeting of its Executive Board and determined a number of actions - the convening of the Ethics Commission and asking for any evidence of wrongdoing to be provided to the Commission without delay.’ 

‘The IOC takes these allegations very seriously and has immediately taken the first steps to investigate. Should any irregularities be proven, the organisation will deal with those involved in an appropriate manner. The NOCs are autonomous organisations, but if any of the cases are confirmed the IOC will not hesitate to impose the strongest sanctions.’

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