Sports Committee 'maligned'

The chairman of the Sports Committee, Mr. Roger Lawrence, said yesterday that the editorial in Salient 3 contained several inaccuracies and misleading statements.

"The Sports Committee has only seven members, all of whom are elected by sports clubs except the Sports Officer who is on the committee ex officio," he said.

"The chairman of the committee is unusually not the Sports Officer, but a person elected by the sports clubs."

Mr Lawrence said the two members of the committee who appointed themselves signatories to the Sports Council account were already signatories.

"The association treasurer had been signing cheques since 25 November without it being realised that he was not a signatory, consequent upon the resignation of the previous association treasurer."

He said the committee did not have to go to the Executive for approval of grants.

"It has it's own money given to it by the Executive at the beginning of each year."

"The committee has a long tradition of financial responsibility and the three members who were present at the meeting had a total of eleven years experience on the committee," Mr Lawrence said.