HOW CRONJE WAS CAUGHT IN THE NET.

HOW CRONJE WAS CAUGHT IN THE NET

New Delhi police, who made the devastating accusations of corruption against Hansie Cronje and three South African team- mates, stumbled across the alleged evidence of match-fixing quite by chance.

Detectives had originally started investigating a totally unrelated extortion racket in which gangs operating against Indian businessmen were apparently demanding money with menaces.

The police began to tap certain mobile phones and then, quite unexpectedly, found the intercepts included conversations allegedly relating to match-fixing in cricket.

According to sources in Delhi the taps were put on mobile phones, one of which was passed on to Cronje. It is this which provides the basis for their evidence against him.

The Indian police, stung by criticism from the South Africans that they had illegally bugged their captain, are keen to emphasise that they did not place any bugs on Cronje's land lines or his hotel telephones.

Police sources also say that in addition to the transcripts they released on Friday - which seem to show Cronje discussing match- fixing arrangements with an Indian contact - they have several more tapes of conversation. These allegedly provide quite detailed conversations between Cronje and his Indian contact. Rupert Murdoch's Star Television was last night running a programme in India which tried to match these conversations with actual events in the one-day international, seeking to prove that what Cronje is alleged to have told his Indian contact did in fact happen.

Indian police sources also say that in addition to the tapes they have other evidence which they feel proves that Cronje was in contact with an Indian businessman.

According to Indian sources Cronje and the businessman met in Kochi, where the first one-day international between India and South Africa took place. They allegedly stayed in the same hotel, the Taj Residency and called the same number in South Africa.

These phone calls are alleged to have been made to a business contact in South Africa who has not been identified. Some evidence that such a contact exists was provided by Cronje himself when in his statement yesterday he said he was approached by an Indian businessman and a businessman in South Africa.

On Monday the Enforcement Directorate of the Delhi Police raided the offices of Rajeev Chawla and Gagan Chawla as part of their investigation. According to Indian sources the raid was conducted on the basis of statements made by Rajesh Kalra, who was arrested on Friday and has been extensively interrogated by Delhi's crime branch.

Go To Page: 1 2