Croydon Athletic FC chairman found dead
Mon 4th Oct 2010 | Clubs Ownership
The chairman Croydon Athletic Football Club, David Le Cluse had been embroiled in the Pakistan spot-fixing scandal was found dead with a gun shot wound on Saturday.
According to reports Mr Le Cluse, who ran Merlin Pest Control, based in Beckenham, Kent, had shot himself with a .22 rifle, after it was alleged money might have been laundered through Croydon Athletic FC.
Officers sealed off the lock-up in Sutton, South London, but are not looking for anyone else in connection with Mr Le Cluse's death. Friends said he had been under intense pressure after club owner Mazhar Majeed was arrested for allegedly fixing no-balls in the Lord's Test in August.
Majeed, 33, was filmed taking £150,000 before correctly predicting when bowlers would overstep the mark. Police arrested him on suspicion of fraud and, within hours of his release, customs investigators detained him for alleged money laundering.
According to a Mirror newspaper report, customs had been investigating Majeed for months, examining cash passed through Croydon Athletic, who play in the Ryman League Premier Division. Speaking at the time, Mr Le Cluse insisted he would stand by the club, saying: "Hopefully, the allegations will prove to be untrue and we can carry on.
"We have a magnificent team and magnificent support and we are trying to resolve this."
Majeed was later re-questioned by police who also interviewed Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Wahab Riaz.
Croydon Athletic have vowed to continue playing this season. Majeed has paid a bond, thought to be £10,000, to the Ryman League which guarantees the club will fulfil all its fixtures.
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