ENGLISH SNOOKER PLAYER Stephen Lee will not face any criminal proceedings over match-fixing allegations, the sport’s governing body announced today.
The world number six was arrested as part of an investigation into suspicious betting patterns in February 2010, conducted jointly by the British police and Britain’s Gambling Commission regulatory body.
However, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association revealed this afternoon that no charges would be brought against Lee by England’s Crown Prosecution Service.
“The WPBSA has been informed by the Gambling Commission that the CPS will not be taking further action in relation to the match-fixing allegations against Stephen Lee, made in 2010,” the body, based in Bristol, southwest England, said in a statement.
“The Commission has decided not to commence criminal proceedings under the Gambling Act 2005. The WPBSA will now be allowed access to details pertaining to the inquiry in order to consider whether there has been a regulatory breach of the governing body’s rules.”
Lee was arrested under section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005, which states: “A person commits an offence if he (a) cheats at gambling, or (b) does anything for the purpose of enabling or assisting another person to cheat at gambling.”
The 37-year-old from Wiltshire in southwest England has five ranking tournament victories to his name.
