ICC offices searched by corruption investigators

The International Cricket Council admitted in London on Monday that documents from its offices were handed over to the Anti-Corruption Unit it set up to investigate claims of cricket match-fixing and impropriety.

In a statement, the ICC confirmed that the ACU, which is led by former London Metropolitan Police chief Sir Paul Condon, obtained documents from ICC offices in London and Monaco.

The ACU was acting in advance of a request from the Central Bureau of Investigation in India, which is compiling a report into allegations of malpractice in the awarding of TV rights in relation to the 1998 ICC knockout tournament.

Access to the files was personally authorised by Malcolm Gray, the ICC president, the statement said.

"The ICC is on record as offering the ACU free access to any of its records or documentation. In the spirit of that offer, we wanted to act responsibly and promptly to the ACUs request," said Gray.

The request for information was triggered by discussions held by Sir Paul Condon and a team of international investigators with the CBI in India last week. At these talks, the CBI confirmed its TV rights investigation and the likelihood that records from the ICC would be required.

All documentation and records removed from the ICC offices at Lord's are being stored at the London offices of solicitors Simmons and Simmons, who act for the ICC.

Similarly, Simmons and Simmons supported ACU investigators in Monaco and have arranged for an independent legal firm to store documents in its Monaco office.

Gray replaced India's Jamoghan Dalmiya as ICC president. The Indian businessman's commercial dealings at the ICC, notably the awarding of TV deals have been the subject of much scrutiny.

After Dalmiya quit, Lord MacLaurin, the head of the England and Wales Cricket Board, said no future ICC chief should play such an active role in the game's business negotiations.

Mail Cricket Editor