Crook in line for top cricket job

A convicted fraudster is about to become president of Eastern Province cricket and Cricket South Africa says it has no objections.

Rajan Moodaley, who was found guilty of fraud in the Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court seven years ago, was last week the only nomination for president of the Eastern Province Cricket Board. If his nomination is approved and he is elected he will automatically become a member of the board of Cricket SA.

The election will be held on October 21 to fill the vacancy left by Donovan May who resigned a fortnight ago.

Moodaley's nomination needs to be ratified by Cricket SA, whose spokesman, Michael Owen-Smith, refused to reveal the list.

"The nominations committee did meet on Saturday. All the names on the nominations list will be considered, but we will not be commenting on any of the names until the list has been approved or who may or may not be nominated," said Owen-Smith.

However, Moodaley said that he had been nominated, as did the head of Cricket SA's nominations committee, Ray Mali.

Moodaley said he was still awaiting confirmation from Cricket SA, but there appeared to be no doubt of this in Mali's mind.

"I see nothing wrong with the nomination of Moodaley," said Mali.

"He is the president of the most powerful cricket board in the Eastern Province region (the Nelson Mandela Bay Cricket Board) and the next level for him is the presidency of the Eastern Province Cricket Board."

Asked how a convicted fraudster could be nominated for the presidency of Eastern Province cricket, Malid said: "Approving nominations is based solely on the cricket knowledge and contribution made by the nominees - nothing else.

"Moodaley has served the game well. If he is nominated and he wins naturally at election time, then there is nothing wrong - anything else outside of cricket should not matter."

In 2004, Moodaley was found guilty in the Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court on five counts of fraud totalling R79950 and was sentenced to a fine of R30000 or two years' imprisonment. In 2002 he was suspended for a year by the EP Cricket Board for fraud involving R4800 and ordered to repay the money.

Moodaley said he did not think there was anything preventing him from his bid for the presidency of EP cricket - "or any other position".

"I have been nominated and it is the nominations committee who will determine whether I meet the criteria or not. If my nomination is declined then that is a decision I will have to accept, and move on," he said.

Moodaley's imminent election comes against the background of a growing financial scandal in Cricket SA.

Cricket SA CEO Gerald Majola is under fire for paying himself bonuses and using the organisation's money to pay the travel expenses of his wife and children.

The board, of which Moodaley will become a member should he be elected, is almost unanimous in its support of Majola.

Moodaley's nomination follows a controversial election last month at the EP Cricket Board's annual meeting. Many of the newly elected board members are said to be allies of Moodaley.

Their election led to May stepping down from the presidency. May told The Herald in Port Elizabeth: "Just looking at the new board, I can't work with those guys. I've done some soul-searching and spoken to a lot of people, but have decided not to stand."

Mali insisted that Cricket SA's priority was to find a president for the Eastern Province Cricket Board.

EP Cricket Board acting president Vuyo Ntswahlana said the decision on the final nominations was the responsibility of Cricket SA. He would not comment on the nomination of Moodaley.

The nominations list is expected to be approved this week.