Country’s good name is at risk - Olympic ticket scandal

THERE is an onus on Pat Hickey, president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, to immediately respond to mounting pressure from politicians and the public to clarify the mystery surrounding the scandal of over 1,000 tickets for the games which had been allocated to the OCI, turning up for sale on the black market in Brazil.

Until he does so, Ireland’s good name internationally will continue to be dragged through the mud.

The nail has been hit squarely on the head by Sean Fleming TD, chairman of the powerful Public Accounts Committee, who called on him to make a personal statement, adding that Mr Hickey would also have to appear before a Dáil committee after the Olympics. He went on to state that it was not enough for the OCI to say the matter was being investigated by the police and by the council itself. A statement issued by that body yesterday merely said its investigation was “progressing”.