South African bowler Nicky Boje on Tuesday denied charges of match-fixing under questioning by Indian police probing the scandal which hit cricket seven years ago, officials said.
The 34-year-old, who was escorted to a New Delhi interrogation centre by South African diplomats, was grilled for nearly two hours by Crime Branch detectives who are investigating the scandal, they said. "He denied his role in the match-fixing scandal and so questions on all relevant aspects of the case was asked," Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat told AFP.
Bhagat however said the left-armed spinner, "co-operated nicely" after coming voluntarily from the northern Indian city of Panchkula, where he is playing in the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) until Sunday.
Boje was quizzed in connection with the match-fixing scandal involving then skipper Hansie Cronje and three of his team-mates during South Africa's tour of India in 2000.
"I was called in for questioning in an old matter by the Delhi police. I met up with them and have responded to the queries raised by them," Boye said in a statement, adding he looked forward to continue playing in the ICL tournament. Crime Branch chief Satyandra Garg said the player, who retired from international cricket last year, was extensively questioned.
"We have interrogated him on all aspects of the case," Garg said in a statement after a visibly-relieved Boje was allowed to return to Panchkula. "Whatever questions we wanted to ask him, we have done that and we will now conduct further enquiries," he added as others said Boje was also asked about his links with a South African bookie and if he held a bank account in London.
The police had issued a summons Wednesday, ordering Boje to "assist" detectives in the ongoing probe. Cronje, who died in an air crash in 2002, was banned for life over the scandal.
Crime Branch officers said they had presented a written questionnaire to Boje. "He was asked to corroborate various things told to us by (South Africa's Herschelle) Gibbs when we interrogated him last year," a police officer who declined to be named told.
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