Spot-fixer Bodi handed historic jail sentence

Former Protea Gulam Bodi on Friday made history of the wrong kind by become the first local sportsman to be handed a jail sentence under the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004.

The 40-year-old, who played two ODIs against Zimbabwe in 2007, will spend five years behind bars for his involvement in the domestic T20 spot-fixing scandal, where he acted as an intermediary.

He’ll be appealing his sentence.

Good day for cricket!!!

Gulam Bodi just been sentenced to 5 years in prison.

He will apply for leave to Appeal and to extend bail his bail, pending the outcome of the appeal.

— Alviro Petersen (@AlviroPetersen) October 18, 2019

Bodi pleaded guilty to eight charges of corruption in November 2018 as a ploy to have his sentence reduced.

The state subsequently requested the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court for a five-year sanction.

The Act, which was ratified in 2004 following former national captain Hansie Cronje’s admission of match-fixing in the late 90s and early 2000s, carries a maximum 15-year sentence.

In 2016, Bodi was banned for 20 years from any cricket-related activities by Cricket South Africa (CSA), who first conducted their own investigation and then handed all their evidence over to police.

CSA’s probe also saw six franchise players – Thami Tsolekile, Ethy Mbhalati, Jean Symes, Pume Matshikwe, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Alviro Petersen – being handed varying bans.

None of the games in that T20 campaign were eventually affected by Bodi’s plans.

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