Gulam Bodi under investigation for match-fixing

Netwerk24, a South Africa-based news website, had reported Bodi to be the “intermediary” who was the subject of a CSA press release in December 2015, in which, the board said that he had been charged under its anti-corruption code with “contriving to fix, or otherwise improperly influence aspects” of the 2014/15 domestic Twenty20 competition – Ram Slam T20. Bodi had also been charged with “failing, or refusing without compelling justification, to cooperate with an investigation carried out by an anti-corruption official.” According to the News24 report, the intermediary was provisionally suspended from any activity related to cricket organised by CSA.

“Following our investigations and due process, we have reached a point where we can confirm that Mr Bodi is the intermediary who was charged by CSA in early December 2015 under the CSA Anti-Corruption Code. Mr Bodi is presently co-operating with the CSA Anti-Corruption officials. We now await his response to the charges and the matter will take its course in accordance with the process outlined in the Code,” Haroon Lorgat, CSA Chief Executive, said, in an official release.

According to the release, Bodi has been provisionally suspended under Article 4.7.1 of the Code. The provisional suspension means that Bodi may not be involved in any capacity in any match or any other kind of function, event or activity (other than authorized anti-corruption education or rehabilitation programmes) that is authorized, organized, sanctioned, recognized or supported in any way by CSA, the ICC, a National Cricket Federation or any member of a National Cricket Federation.

If the case goes to the court, Bodi, who played two One-Day Internationals (ODI) and one Twenty20 International (T20I) for South Africa in 2007, could face imprisonment as match-fixing is deemed an illegal act in South Africa since 2004, when the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act Law was passed.