Mukesh Gupta backs away

Sanjay Suri
India Abroad correspondent, London

Alleged Indian bookmaker Mukesh Gupta has backed away from presenting himself for examination by the Anti Corruption Unit of the International Cricket Council.

Gupta had been given until July 1 by the ICC to present himself and face questions over his match-fixing allegations about cricketers he named.

On Monday, the ICC decided that since Gupta will not make himself available to face questioning over his allegations, the Anti Corruption Unit will now go ahead and file its report without examining him.

An immediate consequence of this decision is that Alec Stewart will be let off the hook. Gupta had alleged that he paid Stewart 5,000 pounds for information about a match, an allegation that Stewart has consistently denied.

Stewart annoyed the ACU and its head Lord Paul Condon by staying away from any inquiry into the allegation. It was only after a strong public statement from Lord Paul Condon that Stewart presented himself before the ACU last month in the presence of his lawyer.

But now that Mukesh Gupta has chosen in effect not to press his allegations, Stewart is in the clear. His allegations against banned former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin and other players will come up later.

But the ICC is due to give its findings in relation to Stewart in about two weeks, the ICC said in a statement Monday. The report on Stewart will be submitted to the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Members of the ACU have met Gupta twice in India. He repeated his allegations to members of the inquiry team. But he has refused to face cross-examination from lawyers acting for the cricketers he accused.

"Mukesh Gupta was given the option of his allegations being tested in India, or a country of his choice," the ICC said in a statement Monday.

"To bring clarity to the situation Gupta was given to 1st July to make up his mind."

Since he did not respond, "It is assumed that he will not allow his allegations to be tested," the ICC said.

Gupta's lawyers were on Monday morning told that his allegations would now lose their substance.

The ACU also discussed the development with senior CBI officials investigating the corruption scandal in cricket in India.

Lord Condon said in a statement on Monday: "The CBI report and Gupta's allegations are only one strand of the work of the ACU. We have advised the inquiry teams around the world of the position Gupta has taken. They will no doubt take this into account when they submit reports to their cricket boards in due course."