The jury hearing an action for alleged libel taken by the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, Mr Patrick Hickey, against RTE and sports journalist, David Walsh, was discharged by a High Court judge shortly after the case opened yesterday.
Opening the action, Mr Iarfhlaith O'Neill SC, for Mr Hickey, claimed an RTE Prime Time programme on June 4th, 1996, inflicted a "hatchet job" on the reputation of the OCI president.
The programme had been a feature about the upcoming Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Mr O'Neill claimed the programme was an unjust attack on Mr Hickey's reputation and had painted a picture of his client as a dictator who dominated a weak and elderly committee.
The programme also painted Mr Hickey as a person who distributed funds in accordance with his own whim, without regard to criteria, and who was subjected to no form of proper accounting, counsel said.
He argued that the programme suggested that Mr Hickey denied those funds to needy persons and athletes and in particular to Francis Barrett, the Galway-based international boxer, on the basis of bias as a member of the Travelling community.
Mr O'Neill said evidence would be presented to show this was an unjust attack on Mr Hickey and that his client conducted business in a democratic and patient way.
The jury would also hear that proper accounts were kept and that, as funds received by the OCI came from the State, it was subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Following the showing of the programme to persons in court, Mr O'Neill said that, regarding comments by Mr "Chick" Gillan, Mr Barrett's trainer, the important thing was what was not broadcast.
Mr Gillan would give evidence that when interviewed for the programme he had stressed that Francis Barrett had been well treated by the OCI. Mr O'Neill said it was clear that Mr Walsh, in comments during the programme, was claiming the OCI was in some way responsible for the unfortunate situation in relation to Mr Barrett's training.
Mr O'Neill said RTE's defence was that the broadcast did not or could not bear the meaning ascribed to it by Mr Hickey and that the statements of fact were fair and reasonable.
After the opening of the case, the jury was sent out to facilitate legal argument.
It was later summoned back to court, and Mr Justice Barr informed members he was discharging them from further duty in the case.