Pakistan trial :
Judge accepts majority verdict
The judge in the spot-fixing trial of former Pakistan Test captain
Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif told the jury Monday he would
accept a majority verdict.
After three days of deliberations by the jurors at Southwark Crown
Court in London, judge Jeremy Cooke was informed Monday that they could
not reach a decision they all agreed upon.
He told the six men and six women to try to reach an unanimous
verdict but said he would now accept a majority verdict of 10-2.
They still did not reach a decision and so were sent home to resume
their deliberations for a fourth day at 1000 GMT Tuesday, the 20th day
of the trial.
Scarf
Butt, 27, arrived at court Monday wearing a grey pinstripe suit, a
white shirt and a scarf around his neck, carrying a newspaper. Asif, 28,
arrived in a black suit with a blue shirt and a grey overcoat over his
arm.
They have both pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to obtain
and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat at gambling.
Prosecutors allege that the pair conspired with British agent Mazher
Majeed and bowler Mohammad Aamer to deliver three intentional no-balls
during the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010.
Evidence
Over three weeks of evidence at Southwark Crown Court, the jury has
heard that there are huge sums to be made by fixing parts of matches,
known as spot-fixing, for gambling syndicates.
Butt and Asif were charged after allegations about their involvement
in spot-fixing appeared in the now-defunct News of the World tabloid,
owned by Rupert Murdoch, shortly after the Lord's Test.
Cooke finished his summing-up of the case on Thursday before sending
the jury out to start their deliberations.
Majeed and Aamer face the same charges as Butt and Asif but are not
standing trial alongside them. LONDON, Tuesday (AFP)
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