'Cronje Could Still Be Prosecuted'

The South African Department of Sports today saiddisgraced former cricket captain Hansie Cronje could still be prosecuted for hisinvolvement in match-fixing despite the King Commission of inquiry not havingrecommended such a course of action.

A private TV channel, which claimed to have a copy ofthe final report of King Commission, last night said Cronje had not beenrecommended for prosecution by the Commission.

But Graham Abrahams, spokesperson for Sports MinisterNgconde Balfour, today said the report will have to be studied by the NationalDirector of Prosecutions who will take a final decision in this regard.

"There is no clarity at this stage whether he willbe prosecuted or not", Abrahams said.

The Justice Edwin King Commission, which probedmatch-fixing in South African cricket, is to submit its final report to thegovernment today.

Cronje was expected to get indemnity if the Commissionexpressed its satisfaction with the credibility of his testimony. However, theKing Commission reportedly expressed its inability to give an opinion on hiscredibility.

"Prior to the commencement of the Commission'shearings, an agreement was reached whereby the National Director of PublicProsecutions conditionally indemnified Cronje from criminal prosecution. TheCommission was required to express to the National Director an opinion onCronje's credibility," the final report of King Commission reportedly says.

"Due to subsequent developments, the Commission isnot in a position to express such opinion and has advised the National Directoraccordingly. The National Director is in agreement with the Commission'sdecision," the TV channel quoted from the report.

"The deal was that Cronje could have indemnity ifthe Commission was satisfied with the credibility of his testimony,"Associated Press quoted Sipho Ngwemya, spokesman for the office of the Public Prosecutor,as saying.

"Since Judge King said he was unable to express anopinion on his credibility because Cronje's lawyers challenged the legality ofthe Commission and brought to a premature end, he simply doesn't haveindemnity," Sipho said.

Justice King had asked President Thabo Mbeki to closethe Commission in February following Cronje's objection.

Legal experts here feel the inability of the Commissionto express confidence in Cronje's testimony could still lead to the formercaptain facing prosecution.

However, Cronje's lawyers today said there was nothingin the final report to suggest that Cronje would be prosecuted. They wereconfident that no criminal charges would be levelled against the former captain.

Cronje, who admitted to having received money frombookmakers for providing information about matches and players, was banned forlife by the United Cricket Board of South Africa.

PTI/