Stewart cleared after thorough investigation

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, JULY 11. After eight months in which he has been under suspicion of taking money from the Indian bookmaker Mukesh Gupta, the former England captain Alec Stewart has been cleared of all charges of corruption.

Lord MacLaurin, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, said: ``Lord Condon's Anti-Corruption Unit has undertaken a very thorough investigation into the allegations made against Alec Stewart and has concluded that there exists no substantive evidence justifying proceedings against Alec in relation to this matter. The matter is therefore closed.''

Lord MacLaurin's comments follow a statement by Gerard Elias, the chairman of the ECB disciplinary committee, in which he said: ``On July 6, I received a confidential report from Lord Condon, Head of the ICC Anti Corruption Unit (ACU), relating to an investigation into an allegation made against Alec Stewart, that in 1993 he had received money from an Indian bookmaker for providing material information about a match or series of matches then taking place.

``The allegation, originally made to the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which received considerable publicity after it was published on the internet in November 2000, was immediately denied through the media by Alec Stewart and categorically rejected by him in two telephone interviews (when the allegations surfaced he was abroad) conducted by the ECB Chairman and Chief Executive.

``The ACU, at the request of the ECB, then began a painstaking inquiry into the matter. Its essential aim was to ascertain whether evidence existed to substantiate or support the allegation against Mr. Stewart and, if it did, to bring it forward or make it available for the Board to use in taking any appropriate action against him, through its disciplinary procedures.

The result of the ACU inquiry may be summarised as follows: ``The original maker of the allegation declines to make a statement to, or assist the ACU in any way, or to appear at any disciplinary hearing (whether in person or by video link) to make or substantiate his claim. No independent evidence confirming, supporting or corroborating the allegation has been found by the ACU which could be brought forward to any disciplinary hearing. In a recent interview with the ACU, Mr. Stewart repeated his categorical denials of any receipt of money as alleged. He has made available to the ACU his financial records for the period in question.

``The Board's Discipline Committee can give little credence to allegations which the maker is unwilling or unable to substantiate - natural justice rightly demands that we act upon the basis of admissible evidence which can be tested by an assessment of the witness, particularly under cross examination. In these circumstances, the assertion of the Indian bookmaker, untested and unable to be tested, being the only source of allegation against him, it follows that there exists no substantive evidence justifying proceedings against Alec Stewart.''

Gerard Elias is a prominent QC and judge with strong connections to Glamorgan and seen as a wise counsel among the bosses at the ECB. He is also regarded as a man who will not allow his cricket mind to interfere with the justice in any case and we can therefore say that if there was the slightest suspicion Stewart was guilty Elias would have gone to any lengths to see he was investigated more fully.

So if he says Stewart is in the clear we can all believe it and Stewart can end a long and distinguished career without a blot on his character.

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