I used to go to India often to buy ARV medicine for my sick brother, Maurice Odumbe

May 19, 2004

Cricket-Kenyan lawyer accuses ICC of applying double standards

" I used to go to India often to buy medicine for my sick brother, " said Former

Kenyan cricket captain Maurice Odumbe said, whose three other brothers also

represented Kenya at the international cricket level. However, a Kenyan lawyer

has accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of applying double standards

in probing cases of match-fixing against players.

Making his objections in Nairobi in a preliminary hearing against former Kenyan

captain Maurice Odumbe, lawyer Ishan Kapila said the ICC's Anti-Corruption and

Security Unit had violated the rules of justice against his client.

" Although Odumbe had admitted his dealings with Indian businessman Jagdish

Sodhi, whom he did not know was a bookmaker, he had not taken money to throw

away matches, " Kapila said.

" There is discrepancy in the attitude they have taken against a lesser known

player when top cricketeers, who had open dealings with well-known bookmakers,

have not been charged with any offence, " Kapila said.

" The offence of inappropriate conduct against Odumbe is vaguely worded. It is

not possible to get reasons that the sport of cricket has been brought into

disrepute " he added.

Presiding over the hearing which lasted over four hours at a Nairobi hotel,

former Zimbabwean High Court judge Ahmed Ebrahim set the ruling for July 27.

Kapila, a leading Kenyan criminal lawyer, said he would object to the

allegations levelled against his client in his submissions at the

ruling.

" The rules of justice have been violated. He is innocent of violating the secret

code of conduct, " Kapila said.

The 34-year-old Odumbe, who captained Kenya 20 times, faces a life ban if found

guilty of the offence. He becomes the first player to be censured on charges

linked to match-rigging since December 2000.

Odumbe told AFP on Tuesday that he had travelled to India on previous occasions

to purchase medicine for his late brother and former international team-mate,

Orewa, to treat an AIDS-related ailment.

" I used to go to India often to buy medicine for my sick brother, " said Odumbe,

whose three other brothers also represented Kenya at the international cricket

level.

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