Odumbe file was closed four years ago, says ICC

By Omulo Okoth

World cricket ruling body has not instructed anybody to recover costs of appeal in the Maurice Odumbe case, it emerged.

Odumbe, 40, went underground two months ago after an arrest warrant was issued on him through a Nairobi law firm which acted for the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2004.

Odumbe was banned for five years for being in contact with book maker, Jagdish Sodha.

He appealed and lost. Apparently, he is being pressured to pay the cost of appeal, which is Sh575,000.

But the ICC reacted yesterday, denying asking anybody to pursue Odumbe to pay the cost of appeal.

“Refer the latest feedback from ICC. To simplify the matter for you, the ICC has paid the costs of the lawyer. The ICC has not asked for the costs to be recovered from you (Odumbe) and will not be asking for this,” said David Richardson of the ICC.

“ICC will be contacting the lawyer direct to ask what the hell is going on,” he told Odumbe. The matter was instigated by Tim May, the chief executive of Federation of International Cricketers Association, who intervened on behalf of Odumbe.

A copy of the communication was sent to Alan Peacock, lead investigator in the Odumbe’s case.

Lost appeal

“I have spoken to Urvasi who was in charge of legal at the time, the file having since gone to archives. I have found out that Mr Kamau was the ICC’s advocate in the Odumbe enquiry and then in the appeal brought by Maurice against the finding of the ICC Code of Conduct Commissioner,” Richardson said.

“Odumbe lost the appeal and was ordered to pay the costs. The normal course of affairs is that the client (ICC) pays the lawyer’s fees and then can instruct the lawyer to sue the unsuccessful appellant to recover the costs.

“According to Urvasi, we paid the lawyer, but have not instructed him to recover the costs.

“The file is closed and has been for over four years,” he said. “Alan Peacock from our ACSU department is trying to get in touch with Mr Kamau to find out what is going on,” he said.

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