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Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Tue Jul 08, 2014 5:28 amby Dameerto
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-28205082A couple of things to note about this, his company is based in Switzerland (as is FIFA) - and he was arrested at a hotel where FIFA officials were also staying. Obviously all PURE coincidence though, and no doubt FIFA will issue a statement strongly condemning this latest corruption and reiterating their anti-corruption stance.
Fifa partner CEO Ray Whelan arrested over ticket scam
Brazilian police have arrested the chief executive of a Fifa partner company as part of investigations into the illegal sale of World Cup tickets.
Ray Whelan from Match Hospitality was held at Rio de Janeiro's hotel, where officials from the world's football governing body were also staying.
Last week, police held 11 people and broke up an international gang.
They are accused of illegally reselling tickets, including some originally allocated to players.
Police say the gang earned as much as $90m (£52m) per tournament and could have operated at four World Cups.
The authorities believe some of the tickets were sold to foreign tourists.
Mr Whelan was arrested at the luxurious Copacabana Palace Hotel on Monday.
He was taken for questioning as part of the ongoing police investigation Operation Jules Rimet.
The Switzerland-based Match Hospitality has so far made no public comment on the issue.
As part of the inquiry, police said last week they had identified the first name of an alleged Fifa official from telephone calls.
Fabio Barucke, the investigator in charge of the case, said the official had clearance to Fifa offices, stadiums and other administrative areas where he would have access to match tickets.
The official, Mr Barucke said at the time, was not Brazilian and was in the country only because of the current tournament.
In a statement, Fifa said it "continues to fully collaborate with the local authorities and will provide any details requested to assist with this ongoing investigation".
"Fifa wants to reiterate as mentioned at various occasions its firm stance against any form of violation of the criminal law and the ticketing regulations, and is fully supporting the security authorities in our joint efforts to clamp down on any unauthorised ticket sales."
Among items seized during the arrests last week were 100 tickets, computers, US dollars, mobile phones and documents.
Those arrested could face charges of money laundering, criminal association and illegally selling tickets.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:38 pmby Nigels Tackle
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Thu Jul 10, 2014 10:19 pmby Dameerto
I hope the FULL story comes out because it sounds more and more like a FIFA scam to recycle match tickets while lining their own pockets.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Fri Jul 11, 2014 8:16 amby Hazy2
Ray has got a one way ticket out of there, I guess he could be missing in action, if the MAFIFA get hold of him.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Fri Jul 11, 2014 9:39 amby Ted Hughes
Cheadle eh?
The intrepid newshounds of Cheshire Today will be all over this, up all night going through the bins, only stopping for a nice cup of tea & perhaps one of those small cakes.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Fri Jul 11, 2014 9:43 amby Goaters 103
If they do ever get hold of him, he will hopefully take down a few more higher ups at Fifa. That would be pleasant.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Fri Jul 11, 2014 9:45 amby Hazy2
Goaters 103 wrote:If they do ever get hold of him, he will hopefully take down a few more higher ups at Fifa. That would be pleasant.
He might prefer the Police to the MAFIFA.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:13 amby blues2win
Fleeing Rio without his passport is a pretty desperate act. Difficult to see him getting back to UK. Not sure what the extradition law is between UK and Brazil. Innocent till proven guilty of course.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:24 amby Hazy2
blues2win wrote:Fleeing Rio without his passport is a pretty desperate act. Difficult to see him getting back to UK. Not sure what the extradition law is between UK and Brazil. Innocent till proven guilty of course.
Getting out of South America, without a passport !
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:26 amby Alex Sapphire
blues2win wrote:Fleeing Rio without his passport is a pretty desperate act. Difficult to see him getting back to UK. Not sure what the extradition law is between UK and Brazil. Innocent till proven guilty of course.
he'll almost certainly have two passports, but not sure where he'd head if he does. Sounds like his lawyer is negotiating terms for him to hand himself over?
I think the Ronnie Biggs experience caused an extradition treaty to be put in place with Brazil a few years back.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Fri Jul 11, 2014 11:36 amby blues2win
Does he really want to spend the rest of his life on the run. He might get across the border to another South American country but then what? You're right there is an extradition treaty between Brazil and the UK. I'm sure he'll hand himself in. Maybe he can do a deal of no prison in return for naming names.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Fri Jul 11, 2014 12:13 pmby Hazy2
If Brazil has qualified for the Final, 4 tickets and see you later mate !! NO Final NO FLIGHT ! Hey we gotta blame som1
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Fri Jul 11, 2014 4:26 pmby Hutch's Shoulder
I think Otis appalling the way the OFFICIAL FIFA ticket tout has been treated.
e: Ray Whelan arresCup ticket scam
Posted:
Sun Jul 13, 2014 9:51 amby Scootermagsey
Met the Byrom brothers in1986 at Abney hall, they tried to do me for two grand. Sent the bailiffs in to reclaim my money, didn't even own a pencil everything rented. I got my money eventually (long story), the point is SIR bobby charlton had his school of excellence in the same building at the time. Next thing I know Enriqie Byrom is sat next to bobby charlton in the draw for the Mexico World Cup teams in 1986. That must have been the introduction for the byrom brothers to FIFA by bobby charlton. The rest will be in the news no doubt.
Check out byrom school of languages Abney hall Cheadle to see how dodgy these characters are.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Sun Jul 13, 2014 10:00 amby Tokyo Blue
Have they caught the fiddling bastard yet?
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Sun Jul 13, 2014 10:06 amby Beefymcfc
Tokyo Blue wrote:Have they caught the fiddling bastard yet?
His agency says he's not a fugitive, they are just working things out.
Whelan obviously failed to pass the brown envelope to the right person.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Sun Jul 13, 2014 11:16 amby Scootermagsey
Bugs me that iv'e known about this for nearly thirty years. Yet again Man U are at the centre of all that's bad about football.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Sun Jul 13, 2014 12:09 pmby Beefymcfc
It's all kept in the family, one way or the other. The whole thing stinks from top to bottom and the thought that this may be a shock for some is quite interesting.
Where there's money or power, there is corruption and greed.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Sun Jul 13, 2014 2:44 pmby Dameerto
Whelan used to be Charlton's agent, by the way. Just to add to the general stink of it all.
Re: Ray Whelan arrested over World Cup ticket scam
Posted:
Sun Jul 13, 2014 4:09 pmby Dameerto
It gets even better, the Byrom brothers are the major share holders in Match (no real surprise there), but amongst the significant minor share holders is a Swiss firm called Infront, the president of whom is none other than Philippe Blatter, nephew of Sepp.
You couldn't make this shit up.