Today the IBF Special Ethics Committee announced that the hearing scheduled for January 21, 2016 was posponed. This is the reply from Lotan Fisher:
Dear IBF members
I assume that you, as was I, were amazed by the latest decision by the special ethics committee to yet again postpone the upcoming hearing by 24 additional days. All of this is taking place many weeks after we have submitted an extensive 400 pages long rebuttal document, which refutes every single one of the allegations and speculations which were made against Ron and me.
8.11, 10.11, 20.12, 3.1, 5.1, 21.1, these are all the canceled hearing dates on the most talked about issue in the bridge world. I do not believe that any reason justifies such a long delay.
Let us not forget that months ago, without any hearing, authority and based only on one-sided “evidence”, without allowing Ron and me the possibility to present counter evidence prior to passing judgment, the committee have decided on a temporary suspension.
Since then, Ron and I together with several bridge and legal experts, prepared an extensive document, presented it to the committee, and expected that its members will read it and see that our case is just.What actually took place was that after suspending us, the committee, from its own reasons, decided to not even deliberate on the cancelation of the temporary suspension. They have ALL the evidence. The evidence is clear cut. The hearing was postponed. Time after time after time.
We have submitted a very (very) detailed rebuttal document. And by the same logic that let to our temporary suspension – the committee is at the very least obliged to lift that suspension and DELIBERATE once and for all on the overwhelming evidence that we have presented it with.
Enough is enough.
It is saddening to see that some bridge players, from reasons not too hard to understand, are happy that the hearings are delayed. They were part of the “anonymous” authors of the complaints against Ron and me. Some of them – “amazingly”, are benefiting professionally from my suspension and absence from tournament. They understand all too well that this foot-dragging is devastating to my financial and mental status. Who wouldn’t be devastated from such a cross continent affair?
Postponing the FIRST hearing by another 24 days is not only illogical, and damaging to me personally, it also damages you, my fellow Bridge players. We all want to remove this cloud from the Bridge world. We all want a clear DECISION.
I wholeheartedly believe that the overwhelming strength of the evidence we have presented and will add in the hearing will make it clear to every honest Bridge player that both Ron and I are innocent. Sadly, the manner in which the committee is conducting, is not allowing that to ever happen.
Lotan Fisher
January 20, 2016
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[The original document is in Ebrew: This is the official English translation provided by Mr Avital Sahar, Media Advisor of Fisher & Schwarts]