Exclusive: Cronje's lawyer slams minister's warning

Paul Martin Cainer, Southern Africa Correspondent for rediff.com

Hansie Cronje's lawyer has defended his client's 'democratic right' to make money out of television and media interviews, articles, books and films.

The attorney, Leslie Sackstein, gave an exclusive interview to Sport Africa, Live Africa and rediff.com -- in reaction to a not-very-veiled warning from South Africa's Sports Minister Ncgonde Balfour.

As reported last Friday by rediff.com, Balfour pointed out that Cronje should consider the implications of revealing new information, and being paid for it, while the Commission of Inquiry into match-fixing had not yet delivered its report.

That seemed to be a subtle way of saying that the Commission would be very annoyed if Cronje, in his interviews, were to reveal any information that he had not yet given to the Commission.

In turn, that could lead to a finding by the judge (and the State Prosecutor) that Cronje was not eligible for immunity from prosecution, because the offer of immunity had been made only if Cronje was judged to have been 'entirely truthful'.

Sackstein, however, asserted that his client has the right to speak out.

"He has decided to give interviews in each of the three main areas of English-speaking cricket -- England, Australia and South Africa," said Sackstein (omitting to consider the Indian subcontinent, the Caribbean and New Zealand).

"He felt he could present a fairer and better picture of himself and what really went on, than he was able to do in the formal atmosphere of the King Commission."

The fact that he was paid, and well paid, for these interviews (the last of which has yet to be made public) has already hit the South African newspaper headlines in very critical fashion. The South African Sunday Times accused him of getting rich through exploiting the 'betrayal' of his country.

Cronje's lawyer, however, insisted that his client has done nothing wrong in making money from his story. "I must point out that, as he was summarily dismissed as captain by Ali Bacher, my client has no source of income, and he is entitled to earn something."

With an understated irony, Sackstein pointed out that Cronje may have considered he needed the cash to pay mounting legal bills -- presumably including those from himself.

Clearly, though, Sackstein is anxious not to let Cronje be seen as unrestrainedly money-grabbing -- even though the ex-captain has told the King Commission that his continued dalliance with bookmakers was founded on an uncontrollable addiction to cash. (Cronje has admitted thus far to taking six hundred thousand dollars from bookmakers since 1995).

As for whether there are more lucrative deals in the offing, or whether celebrity publicist Max Clifford in England is finding him film and book rights, Sackstein says he can say nothing to infringe "client-attorney confidentiality".

It appears that Cronje has himself not yet received a copy of the Interim Report of the King Commission, already in the hands of the government and the president. It is understood by rediff.com (see our exclusive article just published on the web) that Cronje will be warned he has more truth to reveal before immunity from prosecution can be granted.

The legal team representing Cronje is actually preparing for the possibility of taking legal action against the King Commission if the findings are too severe against their client, according to well-informed legal sources.

Without confirming this, Sackstein told rediff.com that the lawyers would look at all possible remedies to protect their client from "unwarranted" criticism, no mater how high a source was responsible.

It now appears, though, that Judge King has been more subtle than to openly attack Cronje. His report (still secret) makes no clear finding on Cronje's truthfulness or otherwise, legal sources have revealed. The sources say that the King interim report neither condemns Cronje's truthfulness, nor does it give any green light to drop potential criminal charges against him.

Paul Martin Cainer is Editor-in-chief of Sport Africa Broadcasting and Live Africa Network News.

Mail your comments