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Tuesday 24 July 2012

Olympic News but not on the BBC

The Sun reports that:
'PAKISTAN’S president yesterday ordered the arrest of criminals behind an Olympics visa racket exposed by The Sun.
A dozen passport officials have been suspended.
An aide said Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and President Asif Ali Zardari were appalled after we exposed corrupt officials offering potential terrorists the chance to sneak into Britain with the Pakistan Olympic squad.
Rehman Malik added: “The visa scandal is shocking.
“President Zardari and Prime Minister Ashraf have asked me to arrest those responsible for defaming Pakistan. Those responsible will be punished accordingly.”
Embarrassed Pakistan officials also rang Downing Street yesterday to confirm they are doing all they can to find the gang ringleaders.
A dozen Pakistan passport officials were suspended yesterday and others were taken into custody.
Those suspended include the general manager of the Lahore passport office which arranged for an undercover Sun investigator to obtain bogus travel documents for £600.
And senior politician Abid Chodhary, who offered our man a UK visa plus a letter confirming he was part of Pakistan’s Olympic entourage for £7,000, has been banned from leaving the country.
The Dream Land travel agency in Lahore, whose staff put The Sun in touch with corrupt officials, was closed yesterday. Arrests are expected soon.
Mr Malik said he had personally contacted the British authorities to assure them no terrorists would be allowed to slip into London 2012.
He added: “We love the Olympics and will never allow anyone to sabotage them.” Pakistan’s ISI intelligence service confirmed the racket could have been used by potential terrorists.
A spokesman said: “The ISI had reports earlier that the Olympics could be used to send terrorists into UK and Europe but we had made a fool-proof plan to stop this.
“There has been an activity of the militants for the last few months and we have intercepted calls in which militants are discussing Olympics as a tool to get into UK. We have taken people into custody and are interrogating them. The men can give us a clue if they are connected with militant outfits or were just trying to make it to the UK.”
David Cameron said he had every faith in London 2012’s security.
His spokesman said: “We are confident that we have the checks in place and the arrangements in place to deal with these issues.” Downing Street said British agents are in Pakistan working with authorities there.
The suspended staff are from the NADRA passport centres in Lahore and Islamabad.
Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson said: “We’re grateful to The Sun.”'
 On the BBC? Shhh not a word.

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