By Anthony Sheridan
I see the trial of the obnoxious Pat Hickey is set to begin on November 29 next. What’s the betting that sometime around mid November Hickey will ‘suddenly’ develop a serious medical problem?
Category: Sport
Principle of ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ does not apply universally in Ireland
By Anthony Sheridan
There seems to be a great deal of worry amongst Irish establishment figures that the Brazilians may not grant Pat Hickey the protection of the almost universal principle of ‘Innocent until proven guilty’.
Here’s former CEO of the FAI Fran Rooney on RTE yesterday.
It’s a real concern that the men’s presumption of innocence is being ignored… the whole presumption of innocence is a key issue here.
In light of the above comments it will no doubt come as a great shock to barrister Fran Rooney to learn that the ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ principle does not apply universally in Ireland.
It will come as an even greater shock to anxious establishment figures like Rooney to learn that the principal was abandoned to protect the multi-million Euro Mass card monopoly enjoyed by the Catholic Church.
Any Irish citizen who sells (even one) a Mass card without the express permission of a Catholic bishop is guilty of an offence which may result in a ten year prison sentence and/or a fine of €300,000.
This law is even more draconian than that enacted to combat ruthless drug lords. If (Catholic) Brazilian politicians were to enact such a law Irish establishment figures like Ryan Tubridy, for example, would be choking on their breakfast cereal.
To copper-fasten the law and ensure no citizen dares challenge the financial interests of the Catholic Church Irish politicians inserted the following section into the Charities Act 2009:
(2): In proceedings for an offence under this section it shall be presumed, until the contrary is proved on the balance of probabilities, that the sale of the Mass card to which the alleged offence relates was not done pursuant to an arrangement with a recognised person.
So there you have it – in Irish legislation – in black and white – Guilty unless you can prove you are innocent.
Irish journalists: Puzzled by nasty treatment of elites
By Anthony Sheridan
RTE journalist Aine Lawlor introduced a report on the ongoing Olympics ticket scandal in Brazil as follows:
Mr. Hickey and Kevin Mallon are both being held in the high security Bangu prison. They’re sharing prison space with convicted murderers, drug traffickers and gang members.
There are two reasons Irish journalists make such comments.
One: It tends to degrade the reputation of the police, prison service and civil service of the country involved suggesting that officialdom in that country does not operate to the high standards of a Western democratic country like Ireland.
Two: Establishment journalists like Lawlor are puzzled when powerful elites are forced to share prison space with ‘ordinary’ criminals. They are disturbed by this treatment of the elite because they never witness it in Ireland and therefore think it’s abnormal, barbaric behaviour.
Journalist Michael Clifford: In praise of Pat Hickey
By Anthony Sheridan
Establishment journalist Michael Clifford was full of admiration for (recently arrested) Olympic Council of Ireland President Pat Hickey in this morning’s edition of the Irish Examiner.
In common with most mainstream journalists Clifford seems more interested in slagging off the Minister for Sports Shane Ross rather than actually addressing very serious allegations of corruption.
The following comments by Clifford give us a good insight into the mindset of mainstream media to allegations of corruption.
On Minister Ross’s attempt to get answers from Hickey:
Mr Ross discovered, as many before him had, that Mr Hickey is a wily old dog who can bite as well as others might bark.
On Hickey’s refusal to cooperate with Ross:
Take a hike, minister, this is my baby, the long-standing OCI president conveyed.
On Hickey’s patronising dinner invite to Ross
Say what you like about Pat Hickey, but you gotta love his chutzpah.
On Ross’s intention to seek the advice of the Attorney General.
You can imagine the sheer delight Marie Whelan would enjoy if told that Shane Ross was on the line.
Just a few short weeks ago, Miss Whelan was subjected to acute embarrassment at the cabinet table when Mr Ross rejected her advice on the abortion issue as “just an opinion”.
Now the same minister plans to run to her seeking some form of advice that might save his ego from abrupt deflation.
On Ross’s poor handling of the scandal:
Perhaps Mr Ross should take up the invitation to dine with Pat Hickey. The latter would undoubtedly be able to tell the politician a thing or two about politics.
The question Irish citizens have for establishment journalists like Clifford is:
When are you going to address the rampant political corruption that has destroyed our country?
Copy to:
Michael Clifford
Minister Donovan: A political moron
By Anthony Sheridan
Every Irish politician has a simple decision to make when speaking about allegations of corruption.
Speak the truth or sacrifice self-respect by assuming that Irish citizens are idiots.
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Patrick Donovan chose to assume that Irish citizens are idiots in this interview about the Olympic ticket scandal.
RTE Presenter Richard Crowley: Have you got the facts yet? (A week after the scandal broke).
Donovan: No, we still don’t know what happened. That’s why I asked senior officials in the Dept to write to the Olympic Council of Ireland to seek clarification.
Crowley: What can you tell us about the number of tickets seized by the Brazilian police?
Donovan: I don’t have the exact details. I wouldn’t like to comment on the case specifically.
This is the standard bullshit we get from moronic Irish politicians – I can’t make comment as it might prejudice a court case.
Crowley: Can you tell us how many tickets the international authorities allocate to Ireland?
Donovan: Well this is something we’re also trying to find out.
Any minister for sport who does not know this basic information is a moron.
Crowley: Have the Olympic Council of Ireland not told you that yet?
Donovan: No, what we’ve done is, we’ve written to the Olympic Council of Ireland….blah, blah, blah.
Crowley: Did the Minister (Shane Ross) not ask about these things?
Donovan: I presume he’s trying to establish an open line of communication between the Olympic Council and the Dept which is important because of the reputational damage….blah, blah, blah.
A week after the scandal broke and the moron expects us to believe that he, his senior minister Shane Ross and his Dept. are still trying to establish communications between the Dept. and the Olympic Council of Ireland.
Crowley: But we’re ten days into this and you don’t even have the basic information.
Donovan: No, and the reason we don’t have the basic information is the way investigations are operated in Brazil is different to how they operate in Ireland.
The moron seems to be suggesting that the Brazilians are somehow incompetent when it comes to investigating criminality when in fact it is Irish authorities that are incompetent/corrupt when it comes to investigating these kinds of scandals.
Crowley: You could get this information yourself directly from the Olympic Council of Ireland.
Donovan: That’s why we’ve written to the Olympic Council.
And so, we’re back to writing letters again.
Crowley: More than a week after the scandal broke?
Donovan: Well in the first instance Richard I was there when the scandal broke and I reacted on behalf of the Government in Rio to what was happening…blah, blah, blah.
The moron did nothing.
Crowley: An inquiry by the Olympic Council of Ireland is entirely unsatisfactory. Can you force them to put an independent person on the inquiry team?
Donovan: No, we can’t but….reputation of Ireland Inc…blah, blah, blah.
Crowley: Is there room for an independent judicial inquiry?
Donovan: It’s too early to say. I was a member of the Oireachtas Committee that looked in detail at the London games…blah, blah, blah.
Just two years ago there were serious problems with the allocation of tickets for the FIFA World Cup held in Brazil
The brazilians, also worried about their country’s reputation, took immediate action that resulted in strict laws governing the allocation of tickets for major events. It was under this law that the Irish corruption was exposed.
To sum up the moron:
I know nothing.
I’m saying nothing
I’ll treat treat Irish citizens like idiots because I don’t have to courage to speak the truth.
I’m waiting for the postman to bring answers – any day now.
Copy to:
Donovan
Irish Olympic cheaters are heroes: Russian Olympic cheaters are evil
By Anthony Sheridan
I have always believed that nationalism is as dangerous as religion on the basis that both mindsets operate only in the realm of the irrational.
Take for example this Irish Independent editorial written in response to the news that Irish boxer Michael O’Reilly had failed a dope test.
The headline gives us the first hint of the irrational.
Our heroic boxers don’t deserve cloud of scandal
Well, whatever about the rest of the boxing team Michael O’Reilly most certainly does deserve the cloud of scandal hovering over him on the rational fact that he did indeed fail a doping test.
The author makes it clear that our ‘heroic’ boxers are the greatest warriors to walk the face of earth while those nasty Russians are evil incarnate. (I exaggerate only very slightly here).
The cloud of scandal hanging over Irish boxers is not just unfair but monumentally so, the author thunders.
And why is it unfair?
Well, because this particular group of athletes has brought more glory and displayed more guts than any other in history.
This is where we enter the dangerous realm of the irrational where honesty and logic is twisted to suit the mindset of nationalism.
According to the author the doping finding for the Irish boxer is unfair because our boxers are glorious and gutsy.
But the Russians deserve to be severely punished because –
So many Games have been marred by the fact that cheaters have taken to the winners’ podium. This goes against everything that honest competition is about.
There must be no ambiguity; no athlete should ever get as far as the Olympics unless they are clean.
Copy to:
Irish Independent