Manager arrested by Fifa partners: World Cup in Brazil: Ticket Scandal
Baku, July 8 (AZERTAC). Police in Rio de Janeiro has made in the ticket black market scandal at the World Championships a spectacular arrest. In days long-sought “Mister X” is apparently to Ray Whelan, executive director of the Fifa ticket distributor Match Services.
The arrest was on Monday evening ( local time) in swanky Copacabana Palace Hotel performed. Whelan is said to have the gang that was busted a week ago with the arrest of eleven people, leaked map packs from quotas for Hospitality and VIPs. The police came Whelan through the evaluation of phone calls to track down after the Fifa had passed in the morning the investigating authority with all their phone numbers.
On Monday was the official hospitality partner of Fifa, who was responsible for the sale of 290,000 packages, publish the names of three more in the crosshairs geratenen buyer companies. They had purchased a total of 694 cards worth around 1.8 million euros. Of these, 61 tickets have emerged in the wake of “Operation Jules Rimet” in the fundus of the arrested black market dealer Mohamadou Lamine Fofana.
Whether or how many more cards in the course of World Cup had already changed hands from under the counter, remains speculation. “Until further studies, the packages of Reliance Industries Limited, Jet Set Sports and Pamodzi be blocked”, Match Hospitality wrote Fifa partner in a statement.
If the not fully cooperate “companies mentioned” with investigators, Match Hospitality will their “tickets for the semifinals and finals cancel” it said. The 105 purchased by the company Fofana Atlanta Sportif management packages worth around 90,000 euros anyway all had been canceled. When cat-and-mouse game with the supposed key figure in the World Association reported on Sunday the TV channel Globo in the magazine” Fantástico “ringleader Fofana had in the last two months a total of 900 calls made on an official Fifa phone. The World Association responded immediately.
“Fifa is working with the authorities to suppress the activities of the ticket agent. We have already passed the list of Fifa phone numbers “said Fifa spokeswoman Delia Fischer on Monday.
In the broadcast excerpts were also played from the wiretapped conversations. In a Fofana says: “Who has 50 tickets for the finals in hand Nobody Okay I have them, I have them??..” The Globo report also showed the attempt to bribe one of the investigator responsible with money and World Cup tickets.
“Fantástico” also filmed a notebook in which the Ticket sales had been held with totals. Thus began Fofana, who had been arrested along with ten other persons for black-market trade ticket a week ago, in the first round 112 tickets for the equivalent of around 303,000 euros to. For the finale, he had 25 VIP tickets, which should earn him a price of 17,000 euros.
“There is a within Fifa, which involved in the matter is, or he would come (Lamine, note) NOT sent to this large number of tickets, “prosecutor Marcos had already conjectured Kac. It seems that the world governing body will therefore not privy to the full scope of the investigation. The arrest on Monday brought a little light into the darkness.