(AP) A Lebanese American businessman who was a key witness in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report and who helped broker the release of American hostages was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison sentence on child sex charges.

George Nader pleaded guilty in January to bringing a 14-year-old boy from the Czech Republic to the U.S. 20 years ago to engage in sexual activity. He also acknowledged possessing child pornography.

Nader’s name appears more than 100 times in the Mueller report. It details Nader’s efforts to serve as liaison between Russians and members of President Donald Trump’s transition team.

Editors Note: The AP article left out the FACT that : In December 2019, Nader was charged in U.S. federal court with violating campaign finance laws by allegedly also using over three and half million dollars to reach out to Hillary Clinton‘s 2016 campaign for the U.S. Presidency, through a front, WSJ report 

In the 1990s, Nader served as a broker to facilitate the release of American hostages held in the Middle East.

The convictions carried a 10-year mandatory minimum. The judge could have imposed a longer term, though prosecutors also recommended a 10-year sentence.

Nader also agreed to pay $150,000 in restitution to the Czech boy he abused, who is now an adult and testified at Friday’s sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria by phone.

“George destroyed practically my entire life, and I am trying to put it back together piece by piece,” he said through a translator.

Nader’s interest in children and his status as a behind-the-scenes power player both extend back decades. And there’s at least some indication that the latter shielded him from the consequences of the former.

Almost 30 years ago, Nader was caught by customs officials transporting two films, hidden in candy tins, of minor boys into the U.S. He received a six-month sentence, a term that prosecutors in the current case acknowledge is “far below what would be expected of such a crime today.”

In 1991, as he awaited sentencing, his case was twice delayed so he could continue his work on hostage negotiations. Court records cited by his current defense lawyers indicate that British hostage Jon McCarthy and American hostage Edward Tracy were released in July of that year and that Nader played an outsized role in securing the release. Participants in the negotiations wrote letters to the judge on Nader’s behalf.

Later, in 2003, Nader sentenced to a 1-year prison term in the Czech Republic after being convicted there on 10 counts of sexually abusing minors and sentenced to a one-year prison term in 2003.

Prosecutors say the abused boys were largely child prostitutes. The 14-year-old boy brought to the U.S. also alleged he was victimized by Nader int he Czech case, though Nader’s lawyers say he wasn’t convicted there. The two sides dispute the extent of abuse inflicted on the boy in the U.S. but Nader has admitted to one sex act.

Nader “used his contacts and his wealth to accomplish” bringing the Czech boy into the U.S., prosecutor Jay Prabhu wrote.

The current case against Nader began in 2018 when images were found on his phone after it was confiscated under a search warrant connected to the Mueller probe.

The images found in Nader’s phones at Dulles International Airport ended up not being the basis for the child-pornography conviction. Instead, prosecutors relied on images and videos he received via email in 2012 that in some cases involved sadistic depictions of infants or toddlers.

Even though it had no bearing on the sentence Nader received, defense lawyers and prosecutors continued to argue at Friday’s sentencing hearing as to whether the images found on the phone were child pornography. Nader’s attorney, Jonathan Jeffress, acknowledged that the photos showed naked children and were obscene, but said they amounted to “dirty jokes” and that Nader had put his struggles with child pornography behind him in 2012.

Prosecutors say the images included clear depictions of child pornography and bestiality and show that Nader is a lifelong recidivist.

Parts of the sentencing papers detailing Nader’s testimony to the special counsel remain blacked out.

Nader, for his part, apologized for his actions at Friday’s hearing.

“I have listened to what’s been said about me,” he said. “I can say I am sincerely, deeply sorry for the suffering I have caused.”

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown will serve two years of probation, attend a 13-week anger management program and undergo a psychological exam as part of a plea deal relating to a January incident at Brown’s Hollywood home involving a moving company truck driver.

On Friday, Brown changed his plea to no contest on charges of burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief, which means he will accept the sentence but did not admit guilt.

The order issued by Broward Judge Edward Merrigan Jr. also requires Brown to complete 100 hours of community service and restrict his travel to within the United States for work purposes. Merrigan withheld adjudication, meaning Brown will not be convicted of a crime.

On Jan. 21, the driver of a moving truck arrived at Brown’s Hollywood home to deliver his household goods from California.

Soon after, the driver called police to report a vandalism, saying Brown threw a rock at his truck. The driver told police that Brown paid the $4,000 he owed for moving, but refused to pay $860 for the damage and his time, according to the police report. The driver also told police that Brown grabbed him and pulled him during the struggle.

Recently released dashcam video of the tussle in the cab of the moving company truck showed the reflection of Brown entering the cab and shouting at the driver. Then the video showed what appeared to be a tussle.

Glenn Holt, Brown’s trainer, was arrested on Jan. 21 and charged with one count of burglary with battery.

Brown, who grew up in Liberty City and graduated from Miami Norland Senior High, refused to speak to officers and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The next day Brown turned himself in. He had been out on a $110,000 bond since January 24. He originally pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“Rather than engage in a protracted legal case, Antonio decided to resolve this matter in an expeditious manner,” his attorneys said in a news release Friday.

In recent months, Brown, who was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Oakland Raiders after a 2019 off-season and then released before the season began, has been in the spotlight. He was picked up by the New England Patriots, but was cut after only playing one game. A former trainer filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault.

Then eight days before the moving company truck incident, Hollywood police were called to Brown’s home after an altercation involving Brown’s ex-girlfriend, Chelsie Kyriss. Brown was not arrested, but police say Brown waved penis-shaped gummy candies at officers while calling them “a bag of d—-.”

Alana Burstyn, an adviser for Antonio, said in a statement Friday that “with this matter now resolved, Antonio looks forward to continuing his cooperation with the NFL and resuming his professional career.”

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown will serve two years of probation, attend a 13-week anger management program and undergo a psychological exam as part of a plea deal relating to a January incident at Brown’s Hollywood home involving a moving company truck driver.

On Friday, Brown changed his plea to no contest on charges of burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief, which means he will accept the sentence but did not admit guilt.

The order issued by Broward Judge Edward Merrigan Jr. also requires Brown to complete 100 hours of community service and restrict his travel to within the United States for work purposes. Merrigan withheld adjudication, meaning Brown will not be convicted of a crime.

On Jan. 21, the driver of a moving truck arrived at Brown’s Hollywood home to deliver his household goods from California.

Soon after, the driver called police to report a vandalism, saying Brown threw a rock at his truck. The driver told police that Brown paid the $4,000 he owed for moving, but refused to pay $860 for the damage and his time, according to the police report. The driver also told police that Brown grabbed him and pulled him during the struggle.

Recently released dashcam video of the tussle in the cab of the moving company truck showed the reflection of Brown entering the cab and shouting at the driver. Then the video showed what appeared to be a tussle.

Glenn Holt, Brown’s trainer, was arrested on Jan. 21 and charged with one count of burglary with battery.

Brown, who grew up in Liberty City and graduated from Miami Norland Senior High, refused to speak to officers and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The next day Brown turned himself in. He had been out on a $110,000 bond since January 24. He originally pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“Rather than engage in a protracted legal case, Antonio decided to resolve this matter in an expeditious manner,” his attorneys said in a news release Friday.

In recent months, Brown, who was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Oakland Raiders after a 2019 off-season and then released before the season began, has been in the spotlight. He was picked up by the New England Patriots, but was cut after only playing one game. A former trainer filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault.

Then eight days before the moving company truck incident, Hollywood police were called to Brown’s home after an altercation involving Brown’s ex-girlfriend, Chelsie Kyriss. Brown was not arrested, but police say Brown waved penis-shaped gummy candies at officers while calling them “a bag of d—-.”

Alana Burstyn, an adviser for Antonio, said in a statement Friday that “with this matter now resolved, Antonio looks forward to continuing his cooperation with the NFL and resuming his professional career.”

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown will serve two years of probation, attend a 13-week anger management program and undergo a psychological exam as part of a plea deal relating to a January incident at Brown’s Hollywood home involving a moving company truck driver.

On Friday, Brown changed his plea to no contest on charges of burglary with battery, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and criminal mischief, which means he will accept the sentence but did not admit guilt.

The order issued by Broward Judge Edward Merrigan Jr. also requires Brown to complete 100 hours of community service and restrict his travel to within the United States for work purposes. Merrigan withheld adjudication, meaning Brown will not be convicted of a crime.

On Jan. 21, the driver of a moving truck arrived at Brown’s Hollywood home to deliver his household goods from California.

Soon after, the driver called police to report a vandalism, saying Brown threw a rock at his truck. The driver told police that Brown paid the $4,000 he owed for moving, but refused to pay $860 for the damage and his time, according to the police report. The driver also told police that Brown grabbed him and pulled him during the struggle.

Recently released dashcam video of the tussle in the cab of the moving company truck showed the reflection of Brown entering the cab and shouting at the driver. Then the video showed what appeared to be a tussle.

Glenn Holt, Brown’s trainer, was arrested on Jan. 21 and charged with one count of burglary with battery.

Brown, who grew up in Liberty City and graduated from Miami Norland Senior High, refused to speak to officers and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The next day Brown turned himself in. He had been out on a $110,000 bond since January 24. He originally pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“Rather than engage in a protracted legal case, Antonio decided to resolve this matter in an expeditious manner,” his attorneys said in a news release Friday.

In recent months, Brown, who was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Oakland Raiders after a 2019 off-season and then released before the season began, has been in the spotlight. He was picked up by the New England Patriots, but was cut after only playing one game. A former trainer filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault.

Then eight days before the moving company truck incident, Hollywood police were called to Brown’s home after an altercation involving Brown’s ex-girlfriend, Chelsie Kyriss. Brown was not arrested, but police say Brown waved penis-shaped gummy candies at officers while calling them “a bag of d—-.”

Brown, who grew up in Liberty City and graduated from Miami Norland Senior High, was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Oakland Raiders after a 2019 off-season.

Alana Burstyn, an advisor for Antonio, said in a statement Friday that “with this matter now resolved, Antonio looks forward to continuing his cooperation with the NFL and resuming his professional career.”

Tbilisi: Georgian tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili has been charged with assaulting his former wife, his lawyer Irma Chkadua said.

Basilashvili, ranked 27th in the world, has denied allegations that he attacked Neka Dorokashvili in front of their five-year-old son and he has been released on 100,000 lari ($26,000) bail.

The preliminary court hearing is scheduled for 16 July.

Basilashvili, 28, faces up to three years in prison, if found guilty.

Basilashvili is one of the most successful tennis players in Georgia’s history, having won three ATP 500 titles since his debut as a professional in 2008. He has also been an ever-present name at the Majors, last reaching the third round of a Grand Slam at the 2019 Australian Open, where he was eliminated by Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Coming out of college at Missouri, Keith Wright was a promising talent destined for NFL success. In 2003, Wright completed his lifelong dream of becoming a professional football player when he was drafted by the Houston Texans. However, Wright didn’t quite pan out in the NFL. He lasted just four years in the league, and he went down a dark path in retirement. Wright went on to commit a series of robberies and assaults that landed him a 234-year prison sentence. It’s safe to say he won’t be getting out at any point in this lifetime.

Keith Wright had a short-lived NFL career

Wright was an effective pass rusher and run stuffer on Missouri’s defensive line in the early 2000s. He recorded 68 tackles in his first year with the Tigers and amped it up to 92 tackles in his second year. Between 2001 and 2002, Wright switched from defensive end to defensive tackle, and it paid dividends.

Wright was selected by the Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL draft. His success at Missouri didn’t translate to the NFL, though. Wright was sent to the Texans’ practice squad to start the season, and he was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts shortly after.

From there, Wright jumped to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. He spent one season with the Bucs before he was released in 2005. The Arizona Cardinals then signed Wright to a one-year contract, but he was released less than a month later.

Wright finished his career with stints with the Buccaneers again and the Detroit Lions. He barely made an impact on the field in four years, and he was out of the league by 2006.

Keith Wright committed 19 felonies by the time he was 32

RELATED: Esteban Loaiza Went From All-Star Game Starter to Notorious ‘Drug Kingpin’

After his NFL career ended, Wright turned to a life of crime. In 2011 alone, Wright committed three home invasions around the Sacramento area where he lived at the time. During one of the home invasions, Wright sexually assaulted a woman and forced her to take money out of an ATM.

Wright racked up 19 felony charges in his second life. Along with home invasion, Wright was charged with kidnapping, armed robbery, false imprisonment, forcible oral copulation, and first-degree burglary.

In 2012, Wright was sentenced to 234 years and 8 months in prison. He was just 32 years old at the time.

Wright’s 234-year prison sentence is the longest in sports history

Keith Wright’s reckless actions after his NFL career cost him four lifetimes in prison. Imagine hearing the number 234 and realizing you’ll never experience freedom again. That was the harsh reality for Wright in 2012.

Wright’s lengthy prison sentence is actually the longest for any athlete in professional sports history. No one else even came close to 200 years.

Clifford Etienne, a boxer from the early 2000s, came closest to Wright when he was sentenced to 160 years in prison for a slew of crimes.

Wright will remain locked up in prison for the rest of his life. What could’ve been a promising football career turned into one of the most tragic sports stories ever told.

If you run a European football club, there’s plenty of threats to worry about. 

You have opposition players and coaches trying to beat you. 

You have teams, both foreign and domestic, trying to buy your best players – or worse, sign them on a free transfer. 

You have fans who demand success, you have the media who will publicise any failures they find.

You have to deal with agents, parents, partners, sponsors and owners – it’s a lot to take on. 

But the biggest threat to many European clubs for the past five years has been a baby-faced history graduate with a laptop. 

Growing up, Pinto was obsessed with football. 

“Every time I was watching a Portuguese match, I was taking notes. I would draw the team’s jersey, write down the starting XIs, the results, the goalscorers, everything,” he said.

Pinto was 16-years-old when his local side FC Porto won the UEFA Champions League in 2004. 

While his football obsession continued from childhood into his early 20s, at some stage he became interested in computers and, despite no formal I.T training, managed to teach himself about ‘hacking’. 

In September 2015, Pinto set up the website Football Leaks. 

“Welcome to Football Leaks,” it read in Portuguese. “This project aims to show the hidden side of football. Unfortunately, the sport we love so much is rotten and it is time to say ‘enough’.”

The website posted a trove of player and coach contracts which showed exactly how much people were earning and, in many cases, the involvement of third-party owners – a practice which FIFA had banned. 

Atletico Madrid, Porto, Benfica, Sporting, Monaco, Marseille, Sevilla, Valencia and FC Twente were just some of the clubs implicated in these initial documents. 

By December 2015, Dutch side Twente were given a three-year European ban and fined nearly $300,000 after Football Leaks revealed the club had third-party ownership agreements with player agency Doyen Sports. Two years later, the 2010 Eredivisie champions were relegated. 

The fallout continued despite no one knowing who was behind the website. Some thought Russian hackers, others claimed a disgruntled former sports lawyer. 

In early 2016, Football Leaks published the contract to Cristiano Ronaldo’s image rights. This would lead to Ronaldo receiving a two-year suspended jail sentence and a $28 million fine from the Spanish government for tax evasion. 

By this time Pinto, now 27, had moved to Hungary where he had studied on exchange while at university. 

It was there he met German journalist Rafael Buschmann who worked for Der Spiegel, one of the most respected outlets in the world.  

Pinto handed Buschmann four terabytes of confidential information, more than 88 million documents. 

Buschmann would wade through those documents and use the information to bring some of football’s darkest secrets to light. 

It was revealed that Lionel Messi earns more than $166 million per year and that Real Madrid had tried to buy him in 2013. 

It was revealed that Sergio Ramos had tested positive for a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after giving a sample following Real Madrid’s 4-1 victory over Juventus in the 2017 Champions League final. 

It was revealed that Paris Saint-Germain racially profiled young players and were forced to pay a fine of over $166,000. 

It was revealed that Manchester City and PSG were both cheating financial fair play regulations. This led to City being banned from European competition for two seasons and fined $50 million.  

Hundreds of players, agents and clubs were caught up in each release of documents. 

One of the most serious allegations came in April 2017.

Football Leaks uncovered an email that showed Cristiano Ronaldo had paid an American woman $375,000 to drop all charges in relation to an alleged rape that had occurred in 2009. 

In September 2018, Der Spiegel used that document to track down the accuser Kathryn Mayorga. 

Ronaldo denied the charges and disputed the report but Las Vegas police reopened the investigation. After two years the investigation was concluded and Ronaldo would not be charged as the crime “cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” 

Pinto’s revelations caused huge problems for Ronaldo. But despite that, Pinto claims he is still a fan of the Portuguese superstar. 

“I’m a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s my favourite football player. I think he’s the most complete player of all-time… but this never prevented me from publishing information or data that is relevant. I don’t have any hidden agenda,” Pinto told journalists in 2019. 

So what was his agenda? His motivation? 

“Modern football – this business, made me sad,” he said.

“I didn’t target a specific club or a specific country. If I have data from a club, why shouldn’t I share it with the media? I shared everything I had.”

On 16 January 2019, Pinto was arrested by Hungarian police on the street as he returned from the supermarket with his father.

The arrest was at the request of the Portuguese police who charged him with suspicion of attempted qualified extortion, violation of secrecy and illegally accessing information.  

Some hail Pinto as a hero. Dortmund fans held up a banner against Tottenham that read “Fight for transparency! Free Rui Pinto! FIFA, UEFA mafia.”

Fans of Freiburg and Augsburg did similar, but in Portugal, many fans of Benfica were furious. 

Information that Pinto revealed showed the incredible influence Portugal’s biggest club had on numerous levels of society. 

Internal Benfica emails showed that the club had distributed secret briefings to pro-Benfica commentators on Portuguese TV.

Another email discussed a group of eight referees who could be relied on to favour Benfica at decisive moments. 

A PowerPoint presentation showed the club’s intention to increase the club’s influence over journalists, politicians and judges. 

Benfica were embarrassed. Their president was now under investigation. Their fans sent Pinto death threats after he was revealed to be the ringleader behind the documents. 

Pinto has now been extradited to Portugal where he faces up to 25 years jail. 

“There are mixed feelings about Rui Pinto in Portugal. Being related to the ‘Benfica emails case’, most Benfica supporters see him as a criminal. Their opponents, the opposite, like a hero,” respected Portuguese journalist Luís Pedro Ferreira told The World Game. 

The judge who was supposed to preside over Pinto’s case, Paulo Registo, has already recused himself after it was revealed that he was a Benfica fan and had ‘liked’ a post comparing Pinto to a pirate. 

Pinto currently sits in house arrest, without access to a computer, where he awaits trial. 

There is hope for Pinto that he might avoid jail time if the government accepts a collaboration where Pinto provides information regarding a number of open investigations. However, it is yet to be determined. 

It has been an incredible journey for Pinto, who went from drawing football kits as he watched matches to one of the most infamous figures in European football. 

For all the illegal and immoral behaviour that Pinto revealed, it is he who is facing the greatest punishment. 

“My father was always saying ‘don’t be such a fanatic, because it will ruin your life’,” Pinto said.

Shafaq has appeared in 24 ODIs and 46 Twenty20Is for Afghanistan and notched up 430 and 494 runs, respectively.

Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Shafiqullah Shafaq has been banned from all forms of cricket fot a period of six years after he was found to have breached four articles of Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) Anti-Corruption Code.

The 30-year-old has been charged for violating the ACB’s anti-corruption code during the maiden edition of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) in 2018 and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in 2019.

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The four charges accepted by Shafaq are as follows:

Article 2.1.1 – Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match,  including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.”

Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match …”

Article 2.1.4 – Attempting to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or intentionally facilitate a Participant to breach Article 2.1.”

Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by a Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under ACB Anti-Corruption Code.”

Shafaq has admitted the charges levied against him and agreed to the suspension handed by the ACB and, therefore, there will be no need for any formal hearing.

Reflecting on the same, ACB’s Senior Anti-Corruption manager, Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said that Shafaq has committed a very serious offence by engaging in corruption activities in a high-profile domestic game.

 “This is a very serious offence where a senior national player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in APL T20 2018. The player had also attempted but failed to get one of his teammates to engage in corruption in another high-profile game during the BPL 2019.It is an alert for all those players who think their illegal activities concerning the game of cricket will not be disclosed to the ACB’s ACU. Our coverage is vaster than what is perceived,” ACB official website quoted Quraishi as saying.

Quraishi further revealed that the ban could have been even longer, had Shafaq did not admit to the breach and made full cooperation with ACU throughout the investigation. He also revealed that the wicketkeeper-bastman is absolutely ready to contribute to ACB ACU’s future integrity education programs in order to help young cricketers to learn from his mistakes.

Shafaq has appeared in 24 ODIs and 46 Twenty20Is for Afghanistan and notched up 430 and 494 runs, respectively.

 

 

 

Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Shafiqullah Shafaq has been banned from all forms of cricket fot a period of six years after he was found to have breached four articles of Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) Anti-Corruption Code.

The 30-year-old has been charged for violating the ACB’s anti-corruption code during the maiden edition of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) in 2018 and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in 2019.

The four charges accepted by Shafaq are as follows:

Article 2.1.1 – Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match,  including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.”

Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match …”

Article 2.1.4 – Attempting to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or intentionally facilitate a Participant to breach Article 2.1.”

Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by a Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under ACB Anti-Corruption Code.”

Shafaq has admitted the charges levied against him and agreed to the suspension handed by the ACB and, therefore, there will be no need for any formal hearing.

Reflecting on the same, ACB’s Senior Anti-Corruption manager, Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said that Shafaq has committed a very serious offence by engaging in corruption activities in a high-profile domestic game.

 “This is a very serious offence where a senior national player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in APL T20 2018. The player had also attempted but failed to get one of his teammates to engage in corruption in another high-profile game during the BPL 2019.It is an alert for all those players who think their illegal activities concerning the game of cricket will not be disclosed to the ACB’s ACU. Our coverage is vaster than what is perceived,” ACB official website quoted Quraishi as saying.

Quraishi further revealed that the ban could have been even longer, had Shafaq did not admit to the breach and made full cooperation with ACU throughout the investigation. He also revealed that the wicketkeeper-bastman is absolutely ready to contribute to ACB ACU’s future integrity education programs in order to help young cricketers to learn from his mistakes.

Shafaq has appeared in 24 ODIs and 46 Twenty20Is for Afghanistan and notched up 430 and 494 runs, respectively.

 

 

 

Afghanistan wicket-keeper Shafiqullah Shafaq has been banned from all forms of cricket after accepting four charges of breaching the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s anti-corruption code.

In February, the 30-year-old was provisionally suspended with immediate effect and charged with five breaches of anti-corruption code.

The charges relate to the inaugural edition of Afghanistan Premier League (2018) and the 2019 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League.

Quote

Here is what anti-corruption manager Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said

“This is a serious offence where a senior player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in APL T20 2018. The player had also attempted but failed to get one of his team-mates to engage in corruption during BPL 2019,” Quraishi said.

Article 2.1.1

Article 2.1.1 was breached by Shafaq

Shafaq breached the Article 2.1.1 that states the following:

Breach of Article 2.1.1 – Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match, including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.

Other charges

Breach of Article 2.1.3 and 2.1.4

Breach of Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match.

Breach of Article 2.1.4 – Attempting to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or intentionally facilitate a Participant to breach Article 2.1.

Information

Shafaq also breached the Article 2.4.4

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by a Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under ACB Anti-Corruption Code.

Admission

Shafaq admitted to charges imposed by ACB

Under the provisions, Shafaq admitted to charges levied against him and also agreed to the sanctions imposed by ACB.

Quraishi also mentioned that the term of Shafaq’s could have been longer without his cooperation.

“It is an alert for all those players who think their illegal activities concerning the game of cricket will not be disclosed to the ACB’s ACU,” he stated.