Jamaica launches inquiry into Woolmer affair
Saturday, 16 June 2007
MONTEGO BAY, Jun 15 (AFP): Jamaican authorities have launched an inquiry into the handling of the death of former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer, after police admitted he was not murdered.
The review would "assess the appropriateness of the techniques and the standards of professionalism employed by police investigators, as well as medical and other professional personnel," National Security Minister Peter Phillips told parliament Wednesday.
He was speaking after Jamaican police, in an embarrassing U- turn on Tuesday, overturned their initial findings of homicide and said Woolmer (58) had in fact died of natural causes.
News that police were treating Woolmer's death on March 18 as murder had stunned the world of cricket, and triggered mass speculation about the extent of match-fixing mafias in the game.
"Given the high degree of public interest which the case generated at home and abroad and the circumstances surrounding the case", Phillips said, he "considered it desirable to commission a review of the investigations."
A former president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ian Forte, was named as the chief investigator and is to report to Phillips no later than July 31.
Woolmer's body was discovered at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel the day after Pakistan suffered a phenomenal three-wicket loss to newcomers Ireland in the first round of the Cricket World Cup.
The review would "assess the appropriateness of the techniques and the standards of professionalism employed by police investigators, as well as medical and other professional personnel," National Security Minister Peter Phillips told parliament Wednesday.
He was speaking after Jamaican police, in an embarrassing U- turn on Tuesday, overturned their initial findings of homicide and said Woolmer (58) had in fact died of natural causes.
News that police were treating Woolmer's death on March 18 as murder had stunned the world of cricket, and triggered mass speculation about the extent of match-fixing mafias in the game.
"Given the high degree of public interest which the case generated at home and abroad and the circumstances surrounding the case", Phillips said, he "considered it desirable to commission a review of the investigations."
A former president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ian Forte, was named as the chief investigator and is to report to Phillips no later than July 31.
Woolmer's body was discovered at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel the day after Pakistan suffered a phenomenal three-wicket loss to newcomers Ireland in the first round of the Cricket World Cup.