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No criminal charges against Bodi - lawyer

Johannesburg - The lawyer for former Proteas player Gulam Bodi, who has been accused of match-fixing, says there have been no criminal charges laid against his client. 

"There has been no criminal charges, it is still an internal investigation (within Cricket South Africa)," Ayoob Kaka told News24. 

"They (the CSA) have a code, and we are responding in terms of the code."

Bodi has been charged with contriving to fix, or otherwise improperly influence aspects of the 2015 Ram Slam T20 tournament.

When asked about a possible disciplinary hearing against Bodi, who has also played cricket for the Dolphins, Titans and Lions, Kaka said the CSA were still deciding on how to proceed. 

"They are still busy asking questions and getting their act together... based on that they will decide whether they want to proceed or not, and we will obviously then decide how to plead," he said. 

"We are co-operating, and I am sure at some stage we will either make a deal, or we plead... guilty or not guilty. That's how it works."

In mid-December 2015 the CSA said its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit had charged a perpetrator - operating as an intermediary - under its anti-corruption code for contriving to "fix, or otherwise improperly influence aspects of last year's tournament".

In addition, the "intermediary" was also charged with failing or refusing to co-operate with the investigation.

On Thursday Netwerk24 reported that sources confirmed that Bodi was the "intermediary" mentioned by CSA. News24 also independently confirmed that it was Bodi. 

On Friday, CSA named and charged him.

“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,” said CSA chief executive, Haroon Lorgat.

“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.”

Kaka said Bodi was "doing ok". 

"He is positive about it because he is co-operating with Cricket South Africa. He is fairly upbeat."

When asked about CSA comments that Bodi did not want to co-operate, Kaka said the player had no representation at the time. 

"When they confronted him, he was unrepresented. When he got representation we looked at all the facts, and what the investigation entailed... and after that we advised him - we said it would be in his interest ultimately to co-operate."

Kaka said he was not aware of any other players that have been charged by CSA.

According to the Saturday Star, four Proteas and four other players from provincial franchises were offered up to $50 000 a game to tailor their bowling or batting performances during the tournament.

The Guardian in the UK reported on Monday that former Test wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile was also being investigated in connection with match-fixing.

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