Former Bizhub Lions cricket player Jean Symes’ four-year jail term has been suspended for five years after the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court found him guilty of corruption.
According to police, an anti-corruption officer was tipped off by a whistleblower about an alleged match-fixing planned for the 2015/16 Ram Slam T20 Cricket Challenge.
Police spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha said a probe was launched after the matter was brought to the attention of Hawks’ serious corruption investigation team in Pretoria.
“The investigation revealed that a former Proteas, Lions and Titans cricket player, Gulam Bodi, was approached by bookmakers from India to identify and recruit cricket players to participate in the scheme,” said Ramovha.
“Bodi also approached Symes, who accepted a gratification to the equivalent of $2 500 or approximately R30 000 to participate in the scheme.
“Symes was found guilty and sentenced to four years imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that the accused is not convicted of committing a similar offence in terms of PRECCA [Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act] during the period of suspension.”
In 2022, another cricket player Pumelela Matshikwe found himself in the same position as Symes after he admitted to having received a R50 000 enticement to participate in match-fixing during the said tournament.
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