SA Govt warns Cronje
against selling 'secrets'

M Subramoney in Cape Town

The South African government has warned disgraced former South African captain Hansie Cronje it could strip him of immunity from prosecution if he sells his "secrets" to the foreign media before disclosing them to the King Commission.

"Granting interviews and writing a book for a fee may be his prerogative, but Cronje must realise that the commission is not yet finalised," sports minister Ngconde Balfour said, following reports that Cronje had signed up with the world publicist Max Clifford of London.

Balfour said that if Cronje revealed any "secrets" to the overseas media without first disclosing full details to the commission, he was likely face the prospect of being stripped of immunity from prosecution.

His warning came a day after receiving the interim report into the match-fixing saga from Judge Edwin King, chairman of the commission of inquiry into the scandal.

The publicists are apparently planning to grant exclusive interview rights to the highest bidders as also the possibility of bringing out an autobiographical or biographical work.

Meanwhile, Indian-origin advocate Sharmilla Batohi, who is the prosecutor for the King Commission, will be leaving for India with an assistant to evaluate the Cronje tapes in the possession of the New Delhi police.

PTI

The complete coverage

Mail Cricket Editor