Olympics organizers deny ticket sales claim
Source: Agencies |
June 18, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
OLYMPICS organizers have denied claims a Greek official persuaded London officials to allocate extra premium tickets to his country by spurious means - one of several charges in a scandal over alleged black market ticket sales involving more than 50 countries.
The International Olympic Committee said it was investigating claims of improper ticket sales after a news report alleged that national Olympic committees and official agents have been offering tickets for the July 27-August 12 games on the black market at vastly inflated prices.
Britain's Sunday Times said undercover reporters posed as illegal ticket sellers from the Middle East and caught officials red-handed.
The IOC called an emergency meeting of its executive board on Saturday after the paper presented it with a dossier of evidence on 27 officials controlling the tickets for 54 countries.
Among other claims, the paper alleged that Spyros Capralos, the Greek Olympic Committee president, said he had "pulled strings" with London organizing chairman Sebastian Coe to obtain the extra tickets on the pretext that demand in Greece outstripped expectations.
The paper said Capralos admitted demand had been very low in reality, and that the tickets were subsequently sold to people outside Greece at a profit.
The London organizing committee said Capralos's alleged boasts of discussions with Coe were untrue.
Coe had told the Greek Olympic Committee that tickets were allocated in accordance with IOC ticketing policy, it said. "There was no further contact - either formal or informal - on this subject," it added.
The International Olympic Committee said it was investigating claims of improper ticket sales after a news report alleged that national Olympic committees and official agents have been offering tickets for the July 27-August 12 games on the black market at vastly inflated prices.
Britain's Sunday Times said undercover reporters posed as illegal ticket sellers from the Middle East and caught officials red-handed.
The IOC called an emergency meeting of its executive board on Saturday after the paper presented it with a dossier of evidence on 27 officials controlling the tickets for 54 countries.
Among other claims, the paper alleged that Spyros Capralos, the Greek Olympic Committee president, said he had "pulled strings" with London organizing chairman Sebastian Coe to obtain the extra tickets on the pretext that demand in Greece outstripped expectations.
The paper said Capralos admitted demand had been very low in reality, and that the tickets were subsequently sold to people outside Greece at a profit.
The London organizing committee said Capralos's alleged boasts of discussions with Coe were untrue.
Coe had told the Greek Olympic Committee that tickets were allocated in accordance with IOC ticketing policy, it said. "There was no further contact - either formal or informal - on this subject," it added.
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