Cronje scandal probe hampered by delays

Indian police have "excellent" evidence to back up charges of match-fixing against South Africa's Hansie Cronje, a spokesman said on Monday.

But the inquiry is being held up by delays overseas, although there was no deadline for prosecuting Cronje and three South African colleagues in an Indian court, he added.

Delhi Police joiont commissioner, K.K. Paul, who heads the elite Crime Branch department, said: "The delay in our probe is in the investigations abroad."

He did not elaborate but other police sources said prosecution could only begin once the overseas probe being conducted by Interpol on behalf of the Indian police, had been concluded.

The local police had sought Interpol's help in questioning a London-based Indian bookmaker, Sanjay Chawla, and checking the bank accounts of other bookies and cricket players connected to the Cronje case.

Some detectives have accused Interpol of delaying its investigations, but Paul insisted the complexity of the case meant it would take time.

The crime branch has already arrested three bookies in India and a failed movie actor in connection with the scandal, and Paul said they had built up a strong case against Cronje.

"We have now excellent evidence and a very strong case but still we don't want to rush with our investigations."

The crime branch taped Cronje's conversations with the London-based Chawla, before lodging criminal cases against Cronje, Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydom in April this year. The four cricketers were charged with fixing some of the matches South Africa played against India during their tour of the subcontinent in March.

Paul said the name of a fifth South African player, Henry Williams, had cropped up several times in the taped conversations of Cronje and Chawla. "Williams will be part of the overseas investigations," Paul said.

Paul's comments came a day after India's Sport Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said the police were making "frantic" efforts to extradite Cronje to India.

Dhindsa told a private television network that the process is likely to take time as India and South Africa have no extradition treaty.

A South African team of prosecutors is scheduled to visit India later this month and New Delhi hopes to reopen extradition negotiations then, sources said.

The Cronje scandal opened a can of worms in India and prompted raids on national cricketers and bookmakers by income tax detectives. The Central Bureau of Investigations also launched a probe, questioning some nine players for their suspected role in match-fixing.

Sports Minister Dhindsa said the CBI would hand over its probe report to the government early next month.

Mail Cricket Editor