Town owner Marcus Evans’s THG Group have denied claims that tickets found in the hotel room of one of their executives are part of a touting scam.

As reported earlier in the week, Brazilian police seized more than 1,000 tickets - bearing the name of the Olympic Council of Ireland - and detained Kevin James Mallon.

According to the Mail on Sunday, Ricardo Barboza de Souza, of the Rio civil police, suspects Evans of being behind the organised selling of tickets at significantly more than their face value and is investigating the Town owner for offences relating to touting and conspiracy.

Lawyers for Evans have denied any involvement in such activities by either the 52-year-old or any of his companies, while Pro 10, the authorised ticket reseller for the Olympic Council of Ireland, confirmed in a statement that the tickets Mallon had “in his possession were held on our behalf to be made available simply for collection by Irish and other European customers of Pro 10 in Rio”.

In a statement of their own the Marcus Evans Group and THG said: “The very strong statement issued yesterday by Pro 10, the authorised ticket reseller for Ireland, clearly set out the correct factual position.

“They confirmed that the tickets with the THG representative in Rio, Kevin Mallon, were authorised tickets held on behalf of their clients and were not being sold by THG. Mr Mallon was acting as the collection point for their clients only.

“There is no question of touting on the part of THG or any deception of any people that bought tickets through the authorised ticket reseller process.

“The tickets made available by Pro 10 to its clients were at face value plus the allowed allowance only. Tickets have never been sold illegally and we have no knowledge of tickets ever having been voided.

“THG have been advised by their local lawyer that there is no evidence to support any charges and the investigation has produced no elements linking any executives of THG to the allegations made.”

Pro 10’s statement continued: “We have suffered significant commercial loss as a result of the tickets being seized by ROCOG [Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games] and caused Irish and European customers to be unable to buy tickets during Games time through the authorised process.

“Pro 10 is now discussing this matter with our lawyers and we wish to make no further comment on this matter which could prejudice our case.”

Photo: TWTD

TractorCam added 10:54 - Aug 14 Ah, well that's ok then.... I would much rather stories on our owner being about how active he was in the transfer market
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Carberry added 11:10 - Aug 14 Anyone trying to sell tickets as for the Rio Olympics have picked the wrong Games. Just look at the attendances at the venues and you can see that you will be able to buy tickets on the door, as the BBC suggested for the cycling. Shame for those who make a living selling at over face value isn't it?
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mickeyjb added 11:20 - Aug 14 Carberry, I totally agree, you'd have to be touting the tickets as half price to get any buyers by the look of it. And even then it looks like most people can't be @rsed
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Carberry added 11:20 - Aug 14 Phil, this is a rather ambiguous headline. The police case hasn't been dismissed has it? It's just that THG have denied the accusations.
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TrueBlueFerret added 11:23 - Aug 14 Flash Man@ Port Man Rood Buh??
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PhilTWTD added 11:50 - Aug 14 Carberry Fair point, so have amended slightly, although also Pro 10 dismissing the claims. Think it's essentially the same story as at previous international competitions with the organisers using the local authorities to clamp down on hospitality companies competing with their official suppliers. In the past the 'investigations' have eventually come to nothing or, in the case of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the courts have upheld the right for companies to set up unofficial hospitality.

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jas0999 added 11:56 - Aug 14 The authorities will decide who if anyone is guilty. In the meantime, the once great name of ITFC is constantly being brought into it. This seems to happen at every sporting event. Although The club are not involved, it's a shame we get associated with it.
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Ryorry added 12:12 - Aug 14 "At this summer's European Championships in France THG were among a number of organisations UEFA said they were suing for the alleged selling of unauthorised hospitality packages, which was far from the first time companies owned by Evans have fallen foul of an international tournament organiser. - See more at: www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/30005/owner-evanss-thg-linked-with-rio-touting-arrests#sthash.bblAx3QQ.dpuf" THG seem to get hauled up on this far more than most though, could this be some kind of "industrial sabotage?" or maybe Delia has friends in high places . As far as EUFA are concerned tho, talk about pot-kettle-black!!

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Penguinblue added 12:40 - Aug 14 Mr Evans, if you are reading this to gauge what ITFC supporters think of TMEG, whilst we have your attention could we have a new football manager please. The one we have is diabolical, one dimensional, specialises in hoofball, plays his favourites, out of position, is disrespectful to fans and is actually costing you a lot in lost revenue. Please get rid and appoint a forward thinking footballing manager, hungry for success and willing to entertain in the Ipswich tradition that preceded your ownership. In short - McCarthy OUT

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Carberry added 14:02 - Aug 14 Thanks, Phil.
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Steve_D added 17:48 - Aug 14 Penguin blue. It really doesn't matter who the manager is , until we get an owner willing to invest in some real quality nothing can change
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MicksZzzTactics added 17:58 - Aug 14 Well if you happen to subscribe to or simply just attempt to follow the ultra twisted "logic" of Awesome Ann Coulter -- deranged US conservative commentator & writer etc. who is cut from the same cloth as the uber braniac Sarah Palin -- Marcus Evans is not only already really in sheiiiit to up over his head, but his fate is practically already sealed!!! :-) lol Footnote: Also according to The Mail's story on this ongoing Brazilian criminal investigation ME could eventually face extradition and a combined maximum total of 7 years behind bars!!! ... neither of which will ever happen of course! Rest assure of that folks. So to all those fans wishing him gone ASAP: Well sorry but I'm afraid it's more than likely we are still stuck "indefinitely" with our football clueless, tax-benefit fixated, golf-loving Ebenezer Scrooge imitation ... or at least until he is literally caught with his "pants down" (or his pants full of unauthorized tickets or the like! :-) ) in one of these alleged big event ticket scams, as this is hardly the 1st time him or one of his semi-spooky companies is personally being connected to one in my recollection.

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dubblue added 15:18 - Aug 15 I understand that THG/Mallon got involved because Pro 10 did not have a representative in Rio. Only strange thing is the absence of any complaints from Irish people complaining that they cannot get the tickets (800) they were meant to collect. Full story available on this RTE podcast http://www.rte.ie/radio/utils/radioplayer/rteradioweb.html#!rii=b9%5F21036452%5F Some harsh criticism on Evan's THG group 18 minutes into the podcast.

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dubblue added 21:18 - Aug 15 Just heard Brazilian authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of 4 THG Directors including Marcus Evans http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0815/809256-olympics-2016-tickets/
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