以前查唔到唔代表好廉潔

Horowitz

Bung probe targets five clubs

(Daily Mail - 15:46pm 16th July 2006)

Manchester United are one of five clubs at the centre of investigations as the Premier League bung inquiry moves on to its next stage — and considers recommending possible criminal charges.

A source close to the investigation, led by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens, has revealed that United, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and Bolton are among clubs who will now come under particular scrutiny after initial interviews were conducted.

Of the 320 transfer deals conducted by Premier League clubs between January 2004 and January 2006, the Stevens team have earmarked between 50-60 for further investigation because of suspicions that they might have involved corrupt practices.

The source, who added that two or three clubs had been reluctant to cooperate with the inquiry, refused to rule out criminal charges eventually being brought against some individuals.

The investigators — 10 forensic accountants with vast experience of fraud cases— have now completed phase one of their probe by conducting in-depth interviews with the chairmen and managers of all 26 clubs whose transfer dealings fall within the period under review.

A Manchester United spokesman said: "It is a Premier League inquiry and we will continue to co-operate fully."

A spokesman for Middlesbrough added: "We are not aware of any further investigation, nor do we have any concerns about any such investigation," while the response from the Reebok Stadium was: "Bolton has co-operated and will continue to co-operate fully. We have nothing to hide."

Newcastle and Portsmouth declined to comment.

Lord Stevens has received full co-operation from French investigators probing allegations of corruption there. In particular they have made available documents relating to the activities of Richard Bettoni, the subject of a judicial inquiry in Marseille.

Bettoni, whose clients includes Djibril Cisse, Louis Saha and Jean-Alain Boumsong, is accused of acting as an agent despite not having a FIFA licence.

The most high-profile deal investigated on both sides of the Channel is Cisse's £14 million move to Liverpool from Auxerre two years ago.

Liverpool were co-operating with the French long before the Premier League inquiry was announced because of their own concerns about the transfer.

Lord Stevens will deliver his interim report in September. But because of the painstaking work involved in tracing the paper trails left by the movement of cash — often into offshore bank accounts — the team believe their work many continue for several years.

The initial six-month probe was launched in March following public allegations, made by the Luton manager Mike Newell and Sven Goran Eriksson of illicit payments.

自由神

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