The Public Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Youth and Sports has reacted sharply to an article published on the sports page of the Analyst newspaper, published Monday, June 14, 2004.

In a press release issued today, the bureau said that the article, which carried the title: "Ticket Scam In Lib - Mali Match", is in its totality, slanderous, malicious, defamatory and without an iota of truth." The author of the article, Mr. Peter N, Toby, the release said, should have sought the facts from authorities of the Ministry rather than stoop below the benchmark of his professional ethics to besmear the reputation of hardworking and sincere employees.

The release said that the Ministry of Youth and Sports has the statutory responsibility to handle all matters relating to ticketing for games.

However, the release continues, all arrangements for handling, printing and sale of tickets for the Liberia-Mali match were made in collaboration with the Liberia Football Association and the Ministry of Finance.

According to the MYS release, at no time was the Ministry of Youth and Sports entrusted with hundred of thousands of dollars worth of tickets outside the arrangement set forth by the three agencies.

The Ministry said there has been no misappropriation of an amount of L$100,000, as was alleged in the article.

The release continues, "the writer of the article should have been more concerned about the security lapses which occasioned the flogging of ticket sellers and snatching away of money sacks, as well as their personal effects by gangs of youths." In spite of the hazards and dangers which the ticket sellers were exposed to, the game realized L$3,066,985, and not L$2m as was reported in the article.

This is the highest amount that has been generated since the construction of the SKD Complex, the release averred.

The release said that the ticket committee is finalizing its report for publication, and it is not busy conciliating financial figures as the writer has suggested.

All of this information would have been available to the writer had he come to the proper authority and not sneaked around low level functionaries who have no insight of what is happening in the ministry, the release said.

"At no time did the Minister of Youth and Sports, Cllr. Wheatonia Dixon, Barnes snub the Sports Editor of The Analyst Newspapers when he approached her on the tickets issue.

This is public information and the Minister would have been quick to divulge it, the release noted.

"The Ministry of Youth and Sports is calling on all sports writers to consult with the public affair office for information or clarification regarding the function and activities of the Ministry," the release concluded.

EDITOR'S NOTE: While we stand by our story, we are happy that the information our Sports Editor had been seeking is finally coming out.