Match fixing scam not yet resolved

Zimbabwe Metro

20 July 2011

HARARE – Sports Minister David Coltart has applied further pressure on police to act on Zimbabwe’s match-fixing scam, saying only the law enforcement agents can bring the matter to finality.

Sources have it that police had already launched an investigation well before the damning Zifa inquiry report leaked to the media last week.

The inquiry, led by the association’s vice-president Ndumiso Gumede, produced a hard-hitting second Asiagate report, which fingered several players, officials and journalists as having accepted money from a huge underground network of illegal Asian betting syndicate to lose matches on several trips to the Far East between 2007 and 2009.

“My input is to make sure that sure that no dust settles on this report,” Coltart told the Daily News yesterday.

“I will certainly raise the matter with the Attorney General’s office and the Ministry of Home Affairs to make sure that appropriate action is taken.”

The Asiagate scam took a dramatic and criminal twist this week following claims by Benedict Moyo, a member of the investigation committee, that he has been threatened with death via anonymous phone calls.

Moyo, who is in hiding, yesterday said he feared for his life.

“My brother (former FC Platinum coach Benjamin Moyo) died mysteriously last month, and I have been threatened with death. Our football has turned into something else,” he said.

Coltart said the threats made on Moyo`s life did not come as a surprise to him.

“I’m not surprised,” Coltart said. “Unless these allegations are proven wrong, it will result in serious consequences for the people alleged to have committed these offences. There is evidence of serious criminal conduct and serious breach of Fifa statutes. If proven correct, the people concerned will face serious penalties. Given that, I am not surprised that people are lashing out at those perceived responsible for uncovering all these misconducts. I hope that those being threatened will report the matter to the police.”

While noting that the report makes “disturbing reading”, Coltart however raised few issues of concern.

“As you know it’s a bulky report,” he said. “I’ve only gone through 10 % of it so far. It makes disturbing reading.

“Well, the deficiency of the document is that is does not have affidavit statements and to that extent, as a lawyer, I prefer to see statements by way of affidavit. Clearly, it (the report) has little input from lawyers and to that, extent proper testing of the evidenced is absent.

“So whilst the allegations are very serious, it is important that there be due process of the law, involving testing statements. It is an important document and it`s submission to the police is necessary. It is now the job of the police to investigate these allegations, top makes sure that the allegations have substance. Look, I am primarily speaking as a lawyer, and as a lawyer, I would want to see a report that has affidavits signed by the witnesses. The report has to be seen as a document relied upon to convict a person.”

Coltart said a reputable constituted body must be set-up to carry out independent investigations.

“I need to reiterate, it (the report) makes very serious allegations,” he said.

“It now needs to be handled by the police and the AG’s office,” he said. “The police are the best qualified to investigate before the matter goes to court.  I am not dismissing the report but we need an independent investigation, led by the AG, police and lawyers to make sure that the evidence stand up in court to make sure that those responsible for these grave offenses are brought to book.”