South African envoy seeks access to tapes

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 10. India today said that the ``law will take its own course'' regarding the investigation on the cricket matches which were allegedly ``fixed'' by the South African captain and a couple of Indian businessmen.

According to a Foreign Office statement, the Delhi police have registered a case of criminal conspiracy, fraud and cheating against the South African cricket team captain, Hansie Cronje, and ``certain individuals of Indian nationality.'' The case has been registered on the basis of evidence which the Delhi police believe will sustain in a court of law, the statement added.

The statement was issued following a 45-minute meeting between the South African High Commissioner to India, Ms. Maite Nkoana Mashabane, and the Joint Secretary in the Africa division of the Foreign Office, Mr. Pavan Varma. The two sides decided to remain in touch in the coming days. India had informed the South African side about the case before going public, the statement observed.

The South African High Commissioner, speaking to a private television channel, however, maintained that there was no advance official word about the case from the Indian side. In response to queries, she said the ``first official information'' was only received during the meeting with Mr. Varma. The South African side, she said, had asked for the tapes in which the alleged conversation related to match-fixing had been recorded.

`Intrusive surveillance'

Ms. Mashabane indicated that the ``intrusive surveillance'' against the players should have been first cleared with the South African authorities. But the crime branch of the Delhi police said no such surveillance had been maintained against Cronje.

On the contrary, it asserted that the mobile telephones of only ``some Indian businessmen'' had been monitored. No bugging devices for recording any of the conversations had been used, it said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has said it would forward a Delhi police request to the Interpol for obtaining the voice samples of Cronje and a London-based Non-Resident Indian, Mr. Sanjeev Chawla.

These samples were necessary to authenticate the alleged taped conversations between them.

CBI drafting letter

The sources in the CBI said that based on the Delhi police request, the agency was drafting a letter to be forwarded to the international agency.

Since India did not have an extradition treaty with South Africa, the cooperation of the South African judiciary may become necessary to take the case to its logical conclusion.

Willing to declare bank statements: Cronje

M. S. Prabhakara reports from Cape Town:

The South African cricket team skipper, Hansie Cronje, today categorically denied any involvement in match- fixing activities during the recent tour of India.

At a press conference in Durban on Sunday evening, he said: ``I want to make it one hundred per cent clear that I deny ever receiving any sum of money during the ODI series in India. I never spoke to any member of the team about throwing a game. I have never received any sum of money for any match that I have been involved in, and I have never approached any of the players and asked them if they wanted to fix a game.''

If necessary, he would make available his bank statements to clear his name, he added.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : Pak. offer a PR exercise: Jaswant
Next     : Ties with India will not be hit, says Pahad