Cricket South Africa (CSA) will launch an external independent probe into funds received from the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the series was played in South Africa following security concerns in India two years ago.
Published: May 05, 2011, 07:12 PM (IST)
Edited: May 05, 2011, 07:12 PM (IST)
CSA President Mtutuzeli Nyoka and chief executive Gerald Majola were at loggerheads over the alleged undeclared payments of huge bonuses after the IPL to Majola and other CSA management and staff. © AFP
Johannesburg: May 5, 2011
Cricket South Africa (CSA) will launch an external independent probe into funds received from the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the series was played in South Africa following security concerns in India two years ago.
The CSA Board decision came after reinstated CSA President Mtutuzeli Nyoka and chief executive Gerald Majola smoked the peace pipe yesterday. The two had been at loggerheads over the alleged undeclared payments of huge bonuses after the IPL to Majola and other CSA management and staff.
At one stage, Nyoka publicly accused Majola of having lied to him about the IPL bonuses. Nyoka called for an external inquiry into the bonuses, but CSA held an internal one, which cleared Majola. Nyoka was removed from his position in February after a majority vote of provincial cricket affiliate bosses but took the dismissal to court, challenging it as unfair.
CSA initially said it would appeal the court decision last month that Nyoka should be reinstated, but after an extraordinary meeting of the Board of Directors of CSA yesterday, the cricket board said Nyoka would take up his position again and the external inquiry he had requested would indeed take place.
The CSA about-turn came after threats of intervention by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), which CSA last week said it would welcome, offering to open up its books to them.
“The (CSA) Board has agreed in the interests of cricket, to abide the judgment handed down in the South Gauteng High Court on 15 April, 2011. Accordingly Dr M Nyoka has been reinstated as president and chairman of the Board of Directors with immediate effect. The meeting unanimously agreed to abandon any Appeal process in relation to the judgment,” CSA said in a statement.
“It was resolved to institute an external investigation including a forensic audit in relation to the mandate given to the (earlier internal) Khan Review Committee (of investigating the bonuses),” the statement added. “Accordingly for the sake of cricket unity and in the best interests of the game the Board is unanimous in moving forward in a united front.”
Nyoka said although he and his childhood friend Majola had had their differences, they have made up and CSA was committed to undertaking a process of reconciliation and healing.
© PTI
