The Malta Olympic Committee has expressed full confidence in its president, Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco, and its general secretary Joe Cassar after they were named in an Olympic ticketing investigation.
In a statement, the committee said that from the conclusions of the Ethics Commission of the International Olympic Committee it was evident that there was no wrongdoing or any hint of corruption in the sales of tickets for London 2012 Olympic Games and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.
The statement was issued following an MOC meeting to which two representatives from all affiliated sports associations were invited.
The committee quoted part of the Ethics Commission report which stated that “...the individuals performing functions within the NOCs did not appear to have had the intention of making personal use of the sums in question”.
The committee said it was evident that there was no corruption, black market or any form of illegal ticket sales. It said reports in the media on the matter were “false”, so much so that the contract for ticket sales had already been signed, confirmed by the executive and ratified by the council.
The MOC said that, during a seminar of the European Olympic Committees in Budapest, Mr Cassar received an e-mail from a certain Marina Costello which said: “We are representing a major investor in the ticketing and hospitality trade and we have a business proposition which we think will be of great interest to your committee”.
The secretary-general and the MOC president accepted this invitation, the statement said.
According the MOC statement, it later transpired that both officials lacked the necessary experience to deal with this request and that it would have been better to seek advice from someone who was more experienced.
The committee expressed its conviction that both its president and general secretary followed the established procedure and that, after having received the offer, they immediately referred it to the executive and the council.
It also said that, at a recent General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees held on December 8 in Rome, it was unanimously decided to write to the International Olympic Committee expressing support for all those accused while stressing the wrong manner in which the investigation was held and the way the Ethics Commissions and the IOC had treated the case.
The MOC said it was aware that the IOC was reviewing the current mechanism for the sale of Olympic tickets, and will, as it had always done, abide by these reformed rules.
Later yesterday, President George Abela issued a short statement to say that he had passed on the letter he had received from Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino to his deputy on the Commission for the Administration of Justice, Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri.
Mr Justice Camilleri is presiding over the Commission while it looks into the Farrugia Sacco case.
On Tuesday, former Chief Justice Said Pullicino wrote to Dr Abela asking him to relieve Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco of his duties in view of the accusations levelled against him.
The latter later filed a criminal libel suit against the Ombudsman over this letter.