Sunday Times issues formal apology to Jim Aiken

The Sunday Times has settled a libel action taken against them by concert promoter Jim Aiken.

According to the statement that was read out today in Dublin's High Court, Aiken, whose interests include Vicar St., will be paid "substantial damages" and all his legal costs.

The rest of it said: "A report, 'Irish Concert Promoter Facing Brokerage Probe' (News, January 27 2002), wrongly suggested that Jim Aiken, the prominent Irish music promoter, was involved in a cross-border police investigation into his brother's insurance brokerage in Northern Ireland. We wish to make it clear that there is not, and never has been, any investigation into Jim Aiken who has not been questioned by police and who has conducted himself with the utmost probity in every aspect of his business affairs. We apologise unreservedly to Jim Aiken and his family for the distress and embarrassment caused to him by this report."

A mainstay of the Irish concert scene since the '70s, Aiken Promotions were responsible last year for such major shows as the O2 concert, the Irish World Cup Squad homecoming, Paul Simon in Kilkenny and the Xtreme festival in the RDS.