By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Image Supplied.
Former Bizhub Lions cricket player, Jean Symes, has been found guilty and sentenced to four years in jail for match fixing for participating in match-fixing for the domestic Ram Slam T20 Cricket Challenge.
Symes appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court on 27 March 2023, where the sentence was handed down.
He faced a charge of corruption in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA).
This comes after the Anti-Corruption officer at Cricket SA received information from a whistle-blower about alleged match-fixing planned for the 2015/2016 domestic Ram Slam T20 Cricket Challenge.
“The matter was brought to the attention of the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Pretoria and an investigation was conducted. The investigation revealed that a former Protea cricket player, Gulam Bodi, was approached by bookmakers from India to identify and recruit cricket players to participate in the scheme.
“Bodi also approached Symes, who accepted a gratification to the equivalent of US $2 500 (or approximately R30 000) to participate in the scheme,” the Hawks said.
Meanwhile, Pumelela Matshikwe (37) was sentenced for the same offence by the same court on 10 June 2022.
This was after he admitted to having received a total of R50 000 enticement to participate in match-fixing during the said tournament. He also received a five-year sentence.
The investigation, led by Cricket South Africa (CSA), implicated the cricketers for their role in the conspiracy. They were banned for a period of between seven and 20 years by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“Bodi was the first to be convicted in this case to five years imprisonment in October 2019 after he admitted to charges of attempting to fix matches in the same series. Bodi acted as an intermediary for international betting syndicates, and approaching certain players with a view to engaging in fixing activities during the competition, “the Hawks said.