Jason Ferguson: WPBSA a ‘week or two away' from understanding whether charges pressed in match-fixing probe
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ByEurosport
Updated 08/01/2023 at 14:07 GMT
WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson joined Radzi Chinyanganya and Alan McManus in the Eurosport studio ahead of the Masters at Alexandra Palace to discuss the on-going match-fixing investigation. Ferguson said that WPBSA will make sure “no stone is unturned”, and added that the investigation was a “week or two” away from understanding whether charges will be brought.
Ferguson: WPBSA a ‘week or two’ away from understanding if charges pressed in match-fixing probe
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association chairman Jason Ferguson has told Eurosport that the WPBSA is a "week or two” away from understanding whether charges will be brought against the players suspended in snooker’s match-fixing probe.
Ferguson was speaking ahead of the Masters and days after former UK Championship winner Zhao Xintong and fellow Chinese player Zhang Jiankang became the latest players to be suspended in the snooker match-fixing investigation, taking the total number to 10.
Former Masters champion Yan Bingtao is among those also suspended amid the probe, along with 2016 English Open winner Liang Wenbo, Chen Zifan, Lu Ning, Li Hang, Zhao Jianbo, Bai Langning and Chang Bingyu.
Asked by presenter Radzi Chinyanganya whether the 10 suspensions were individual cases or connected, Ferguson said it was impossible to give any details while the investigation was on-going but did confirm that the probe was at an advanced stage.
“[The investigation] is at a very mature stage,” began Ferguson.
“Nigel Mawer – our head of integrity – is leading the investigation. He is a very experienced person – and we are probably only a week or two away from kind of understanding whether charges will be pressed or not.
“Mawer is ruthlessly just going through this case on a day-to-day basis. He is the best in the business in my view; he is a very experienced, senior police officer and detective and investigative officer and he is very thorough.
“The key thing about these suspensions and going through this case and bringing it to a close is to make sure that no stone is unturned. We must make sure that we can 100% say, ‘we have looked at everything, we have dealt with it and let’s move on’.”
The 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy has called for lifetime bans for any player found guilty of match-fixing, but Ferguson has previously said that lifetime bans are, legally speaking, “completely challengeable”.
"I get Shaun’s statement and I understand why he’s so passionate about it, because I feel very strongly about it as well, especially as a former player," said Ferguson.
"Every ball you pot must mean something. But we do know from legal advice that lifetime bans do not stack up in court. It’s completely challengeable.
"We have in our rules that players may receive up to a lifetime ban, if found guilty of match-fixing or manipulating results, but there has to be a range."
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