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| December 22, 2001 | Saturday | Shawwal 6, 1422 |
British peer calls for Inquiry
LONDON, Dec 21 - Britain’s Home office (interior) minister Lord Bassam has backed a call for an inquiry into the criminal justice system’s handling of the trial of Leeds United’s Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer on assault charges.
Lord Bassam was replying to a call from Liberal Democrat peer Lord Dholakia during Thursday’s parliamentary debate on the Football (Disorder) (Amendment) Bill.
Lord Dholakia strongly criticised Leeds’ chairman Peter Ridsdale and manager David O’Leary, and urged the English Football Association (FA) to keep both players out of the England squad.
“We need to examine those issues long and hard,” Bassam said.
“He (Lord Dholakia) may be right that there needs to be some further inquiry on how that fall-out (from the trial) will be managed, the implications for the game and for clubs.”
Dholakia hit out at soccer-playing “thugs” whom he called the “bin Ladens of British football”, saying they should be kept away from the game both at home and abroad.
Woodgate was sentenced last week to do 100 hours of community service after being convicted of affray, while Bowyer was cleared of all charges following an attack on an Asian student, Sarfraz Najeib, in Leeds city centre in January 2000.
Lord Dholakia disputed the assertion by both judges, after a re-trial was needed, that it was not a racist attack.
The peer spoke hours after Najeib’s family announced it would launch a civil action against Woodgate, Bowyer and the premier league club, also claiming that racism was the cause of the attack.
Najeib was beaten unconscious in the attack. Woodgate’s friend Paul Clifford was sentenced to six years in jail after being convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray.
Lord Dholakia said: “Those trials raise important matters which require an investigation as to why the criminal justice system behaved in the way that it did and why there is nothing in the Football (Disorder) (Amendment) Bill to prevent that happening again.
“I think that all agencies, including the Leeds United Football Club, should be investigated and the lesson should be learnt.
“I ask the Minister whether the Government, for the sake of the good name of football, will mount a searching enquiry into that matter.”
He added: “Why was the definition of racial attack, so successfully used in many investigations in this country in the past, ignored? Why did the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) fail to establish that it was a racially-motivated attack...Is an all-white jury appropriate for a fair trial of that nature?
“Why has Leeds United Football Club, which is shedding crocodile tears, done so little to help the victim, Sarfraz Najeib?... the young man nearly died.
“The entire justice system, the football club but, more important, all of us who hold civilised values, failed to protect that family. “We need a thorough investigation and appropriate legislation to deal with that ugly face of British football. Nothing less will do.
“In the meantime, we should thoroughly deplore the actions of the Leeds club, its manager and its chairman for the way in which they seem to be handling the matter.”
He added: “Surely a life is worth more than a few pieces of silver?... In the meantime, I know that the FA has set the example by not selecting Woodgate and Bowyer, and it is right that it should stick to those high standards.—Reuters
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