Diarise 30 April – it is the date when the Goalgate scandal will be resumed and hopefully get some finality on the biggest scandal to rock Cape Town football.
According to a reliable source all the VIP’s and role players will be present at the hearing in order to nail the culprits that brought the beautiful game into disrepute.
“To be quite honest this is a very complicated case as there is no clear cut and tangible evidence or paper trail of any sorts as yet,” the source revealed to No Bones with Jones. “It is a case of givers and takers and one needs to establish who did what precisely, you know, That is why we are taking our time so that the correct finding can be made,” the source added.
To get to the bottom of the scandal the region appointed a top legal eagle in Adv. Sean Lea from the outset to assist a specially convened SAFA Cape Town Commission of Enquiry.
Lea has concluded that West Coast FC and Electric City be charged by SAFA Cape Town for alleged match-fixing in that they deliberately each lost the second half of their respective matches and/or intentionally underperformed in the second half.
According to the Resource Guide on Good Practices in the Investigation of Match-in Fixing of 2016, published by the International Centre For Sports and Crime (ICSS) in conjunction with UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs And Crime) specific incidents that fall within this definition of match-fixing inter alia include: “The deliberate loss of a match or a phase of a match for any reason/The deliberate underperformance by a competitor or deliberate improper withdrawal before the conclusion of a match (also referred to as tanking).”
It has also been recommended that an alternate charge being in each case, an act of misconduct, in that the club/team committed numerous acts of unsporting conduct by deliberately showing a high degree of disrespect for the game during such period.
Further charges against West Coast, for failing to immediately report any act of misconduct, and their coach, Pere Ariweriyai, for the same charges as the club including those of alleged match-fixing, have also been recommended.
The report submitted by the mandated Commission of Enquiry also pointed out that Match Officials can use their discretion in respect of Law 6 of the Laws of the Game which empowers the match Referee to yellow card any player for unsporting conduct in terms of “showing a disrespect for the game”.
