Spot-fixing trial: Prosecution sets out ‘facts’ to jury

Jafferjee says Salman and Asif looking to lay blame elsewhere, suggests Amir is being made the ‘sacrificial goat’.

LONDON: Prosecution in the alleged spot-fixing trial have told the jury of 13 ‘facts’ that it believes prove the guilt of defendants and banned Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif.

Butt and Asif face charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord’s Test in August last year, where they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed, another banned Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-determined no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.

On day 14 of the trial, chief prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee QC addressed the jury at the Southwark Crown Court in London with his closing speech summarising the prosecution’s case.

“Shorn of cricketing terminology about mid-on and mid-off, shorn of jargon of attacking shots and defensive shots, this is a case of corruption through the vehicle of a sport,” Jafferjee told the court. “It is nothing to do with being blinded with the technicalities of cricket. It is no different to a fraudster [manipulating] markets and saying ‘you do not understand the market’. You the jury do understand deceit, greed and corrupt practice by some on the inside who are lucky enough, through talent, who have the opportunity to exploit it.”

Jafferjee then listed the facts to the jury, highlighting the role of Majeed and his contact with the then captain Butt.

The chief prosecutor also pointed out how Amir was bowling with ‘deadly accuracy and deadly control’, which were in stark contrast to a no-ball. He stated as one of his ‘facts’ that Amir was in conversation with Butt ‘just before that glaring no-ball’.

He continued, asking the jury, “These are facts. Ask yourself, against that plain background, who needs to lie in this case? Majeed? Mahmood? Or Butt and Asif?”

Jafferjee also mentioned an apparent flippant attitude towards fixing from Butt. When speaking to his own counsel, Butt said that corruption in cricket is terrible.

Jafferjee said, “When I asked him if cheating could destroy cricket, he then referred to World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and said ‘everybody knows it’s fixed but it still has a lot of following and viewing’”.

Amir the ‘sacrificial goat’

The prosecution also told the jury that the teenager was being singled out as the ‘sacrificial goat’ as both defendants - Butt and Asif - have acknowledged that Amir must have participated in bowling fixed no-balls.

The comment, mentioned during the closing speech, was heard by the court when Jafferjee said the two players were looking to lay the blame in the case elsewhere.

In their cross-examinations, Butt and Asif each conceded that the prosecution’s evidence seemed to suggest guilt on the part of Amir. However, Jafferjee believed that the reality was that Amir had been made  the sacrificial goat by Butt and Asif.

“Everybody in this case has said that Amir sadly was part of the fix. Amir has been corrupted. So what do we make of it?

“Butt said all this has gone on behind his back. That is the one chorus shared by Butt and Asif. ‘Whatever is happening, it’s all behind my back’.

“In reality for the purpose of this trial, the sacrificial goat, has become Amir.”

The case continues.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2011.