An external study commissioned by the Board of the Finnish Olympic Committee has been completed. According to the special inspection, the Olympic Committee has not fully complied with its own rules and principles of responsibility.
27.5. 16: 59 • Updated May 27. 18:33
According to the completed external study, the Olympic Committee must pay attention to documenting the Board’s decisions in the future. The report also noted that there were inconsistencies in the Olympic Committee’s internal guidelines and rules. The report states that in addition to Lehtimäki’s election, the Olympic Committee has not complied with its own rules when making decisions regarding the selection of a new sales director and LLE director.
According to the audit, Lehtimäki’s further election should have been better prepared. The decision should also have been recorded in the minutes of the Board of Directors on January 31, 2022. This was not the case, ie the Board of the Olympic Committee did not act in accordance with the general duty of care. The Board also did not have all the information needed to make a decision.
The report emphasized that in the future, the entire government must confirm the recruitment proposals. In the case of Lehtimäki, the election was only confirmed by the presidency. Lehtimäki’s election was therefore confirmed by the chairman Jan Vapaavuori and the Vice-Chairs Sari Multala and Susanna Rahkamo.
According to the audit, the Olympic Committee did not follow its own “responsibility compass” in selecting Lehtimäki. The first paragraph of the four-compassion of responsibility compass emphasizes the need for the Olympic Committee to operate in a transparent manner.
– In our opinion, the principles of openness, visibility and continuous dialogue have not been followed in the selection of the head of the top sports unit for the next term, the report writes.
The report states that the protection of privacy under the law should be taken into account in the reporting of ill-treatment. According to the audit, the government should still have all the information that affects decision-making.
– It is good that an independent external study has now been completed. It confirms the perception that administrative processes have not fully complied with good governance. However, the shortcomings that have arisen are easy to correct, Jan Vapaavuori says in a press release from the Olympic Committee.
The report will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the Olympic Committee on 31 May.
Modified at 6:33 PM: Added details of the content of the report and changed the title and added a link to the report.