IOC Faces London Olympic Ticket Scandal

(ATR) The IOC Executive Board held an emergency meeting Saturday night to address the latest London ticket scandal, this oneallegedly involving 54 countries.

The Sunday Times reports that a two-month investigation found 27 Olympic officials and ticketing agents offering to sell London Olympic tickets on the black market for as much as 10 times their face value.

The Executive Board meeting was held via conference call. The IOC said the allegations have been referred to its ethics commission and violators face "the strongest sanctions." The IOC also said it will consider changing how Olympic tickets are distributed among National Olympic Committees in the future.

More than 1 million tickets were allocated to NOCs based on demand in their countries.

The Sunday Times report comes on the heels of a BBC expose last month that forced the resignation of Volodymyr Gerashchenko, general secretary of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, who was filmed offering tickets for cash.

Officials Caught in Sting

According to the IOC rules, NOCs must sell their allocation only within their own region. However, Sunday Times undercover reporters posing as Middle Eastern ticket touts located potential tickets through various sources.

According to the newspaper, Spyros Capralos, the president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, boasted that he had "pulled strings" with London chief Sebastian Coe to secure extra tickets. The official ticket agency in China offered to sell seats for up to £6,000 each and a Serbian official offered 1,500 tickets for £80,000 in cash.

The official agent in Lithuania, Asta Zirlyte, according to the report, said she withheld tickets from her countrymen to sell them on the black market. "If I take a risk and they catch me, that means your tickets will be cancelled," she allegedly said.

The newspaper says it has film to back up these allegations.

IOC Takes Action

The IOC said in a statement that it has "moved quickly."

"After claims that several NOCs and ATRs 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," the statement said.

"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.

"The IOC has also determined that it will take on board any recommendations coming out of the inquiry to improve the way that tickets are allocated and sold internationally in the future."

In the past when NOCs were found to inappropriately sell tickets, their allotment has been reduced.

British Market Not Involved

LOCOG said in a statement that no tickets allocated to the British market were involved. Many British Olympic fans were disappointed in their quest for tickets.

"Rules and regulations for selling London 2012 tickets to international fans are clear and unambiguous," LOCOG said.

"With regard to 'boasts' by the Greek Olympic Committee that discussions on tickets took place with Sebastian Coe we can confirm this is untrue," the statement said.

"Seb received a letter from the HOC -- as he did from other NOCs -- and responded saying that tickets had been allocated in accordance with the IOC's ticketing policy. There was no further contact – either formal or informal – on this subject."

Scalping a No-No

Once tickets are distributed, scalping on the secondary market is being met head on by the Metropolitan Police in London. According to Operation Podium, the fine for selling tickets illegally has been increased from £5,000 to £20,000 ahead of the Games.

James Brokenshire, minister for crime and security, said: "We are determined that ticket touts won’t spoil anyone’s enjoyment of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. That’s why we’ve increased the fine for touting Olympic tickets from £5,000 to £20,000.

"My clear message to the touts is that you’re not welcome and if you take the risk you will be caught."

Written by Karen Rosen.