APPENDIX 42
Memorandum submitted by Mr Mihir Bose
Text of rebuttal by Mihir Bose of Remarks
made by Mr Ken Bates, Chairman of Chelsea, to the Culture, Media
and Sport Committee on 1 March 2001
"Mr Bates alleges that I have allowed myself
to be used as a conduit by a Government Minister, Kate Hoey for
the publication of stories intended to undermine the Wembley Project.
Indeed, he singles me out as an "extreme" example of
writing stories fed to me by Miss Hoey which are based on ignorance,
and furthermore that I have written them without checking the
facts at all. Both these allegations are very serious. They mean
that I am no more than Miss Hoey's stooge and that as a sports
journalist with a national newspaper, I am allowing myself to
be manipulated. There is not a shred of truth in either of these
allegations. They are baseless as Mr Bates should well know. Mr
Bates has made these allegations without attempting to substantiate
them with any evidence whatsoever and under the cloak of parliamentary
privilege. He did so knowing that I would not be in a position
to immediately refute them. His gratuitous and uncalled for attack
on my credentials and bona fides is shameful and constitutes a
grave assault on my professional integrity as an established,
and experienced sports journalist.
I am grateful to the Committee for this opportunity
to rebut them."
March 2001
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