Brit ticketing exec arrested
A BRITISH senior executive of an official World Cup corporate hospitality partner was arrested in Rio de Janeiro last night by police investigating illegal ticket sales.
Ray Whelan, of Match Hospitality, was apprehended at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, where officials from world football’s governing body Fifa are staying during the tournament.
Police probing the illegal resale of tickets arrested 11 men last week, seizing 131 tickets seized, including 70 for corporate hospitality areas.
Match Hospitality, which paid $240m for exclusive rights to sell hospitality tickets for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, said it would be “fully assisting the police”.