SA probes lewd calls claim

2003-08-16 15:29

Johannesburg - South African is investigating claims of extortion against a woman who alleged she received lewd telephone calls from banned Australian spin bowler Shane Warne last year, officials said on Saturday.

The director of public prosecutions is expected to be briefed early next week about police investigations into the scandal, said spokesperson Mary Martins-Engelbrecht.

Gavin Varejes, an associate of the Australian test spinner, made a charge of extortion against the 45-year-old woman who has said the cricketer harassed her with raunchy text messages on her cellphone.

According to Martins-Engelbrecht, the director of public prosecutions will be presented with police findings on Monday or Tuesday, and a decision about prosecution can be made soon after.

The woman, identified as Helen Cohen Alon of Johannesburg, has been informed of the charges made against her by Varejes.

Warne has said he is seeking legal advice after being accused of making a series of telephone calls to Cohen Alon.

Cohen Alon claims she was offered money by an associate of the Australian test cricketer to keep quiet about their relationship, phone calls and a series of text messages. She claims the phone messages continued long after she met Warne in South Africa last year.

Lewd calls

Warne, serving a 12-month suspension from international cricket for failing a drug test, lost the Australian vice-captaincy in August, 2000, after admitting he made lewd telephone calls to a British nurse.

Warne has recently been at the centre of several controversies.

A married Melbourne woman - an exotic dancer - threatened last week to reveal details of her alleged relationship with Warne while a former employee of Cricket Australia claimed the organisation received regular complaints about his behavior.

Harry M Miller, a Sydney agent who often represents celebrities or high-profile cases, said a 38-year-old Melbourne woman wanted to come forward because of the unfair treatment she thought was being given to Cohen Alon.

Also last week, reports in the Australian media surfaced that a female former marketing employee for Cricket Australia, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Warne had been the subject of almost daily complaints from the public for "several years."

- SAPA