Colvyn Harris, chairman, Goafest 2010 has rubbished the report in The Economic Times about the controversy surrounding the Goafest winners and the metals that are to be withdrawn from agencies. Earlier in the day, Campaign India asked officials involved to come out with a statement that clarifies the exact details of the issue.
In an official statement, he said, "The Management Committee of Goafest which comprises of representatives from AAAI and Ad Club are shocked to see an erroneous report filed by the Economic Times today, dated April 30, based on rumour and exaggerated speculation. There is no official comment as the matter is being investigated with E&Y the official auditors who have been entrusted with the mandate of Jury process."
He further added, "While it is true that the committee in conjunction with E&Y is investigating cases of judges voting for their own agencies work, no decision has yet been taken on the action related to the issue. The article has a list of agencies who are affected as a result of withdrawing metals. This list is inaccurate as no decision has yet been taken. It also mentions a figure of a judge of self voting 110 times which is grossly exaggerated. We would request all media reporters to desist from speculation and wait for the official decision of the Goafest Committee on this matter."