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Simon,
None of us know is the truth of the matter. I guess that I cannot believe that the relatively small sums of money reportedly involved would have tempted Fallon ( with a reported retainer in 7 figures) to have been so stupid. But I guess you can never tell.
I also feel that Scotney was desparate to make an impact and his reported comments on corruption in racing ( when he first took the post so he had no time to get hid feet under the table) filled me with dread since they did not accord with my own experience .
Having said that – if there is corruption lets root it out. Mind you since I dont usually back favourites I wonder how many times I have won when I should have lost!
GGD, they don’t regulate bookies, thats the point. They would obviously rather waste all their time filming people just in case they catch Mr Dodgepot.. Thats a nonsense… What they’re investigating here is fraud anyway..
Obviously this sort of thing will irk anyone that is in the camp of guilty as charged as it looks really amateurish and scraping the barrel..desperate in fact.
Wellif anyone did think like that, I doubt if one supposed interview out of "40000 pages of evidence2 is going to bother them
Normally in any half decent fraud the authorities apply to the courts for a restraint order which stops the accused from disposing of any ill gotten gains. (this can be done even before charges are brought) and assets from Ireland can be repatriated.<br>I wonder is Fallon under restraint?
Uh-oh chaps – looks like I’ve been hallucinating again…
The police officer in question rang my friend this morning and returned to present him with a statement that had been typed-up based on his ‘evidence’ from last Friday.
My friend stated that his Betfair account details were correct, that he had backed Levitator and that he had no suspicions about the bet.
He was asked whether he would have backed the horse had he known it had been layed by others. He felt this was a leading question but answered ‘no’.
Make of that what you will.
The original point I was trying to make is that none of this seems remotely like evidence, merely hearsay. Yet it seems a number of police officers are scuttling around the country collecting these statements at our expense (he said he had travelled ack from ‘oop North today.)
Furthermore, all these details were taken down in handwriting last Friday only for them to be typed-up by a third party (presumably down in London) then returned to my friend’s house to sign by the same officer – another interesting use of time and money!
I would respectfully suggest to those who still think this is all rubbish, that anyone would now begin to struggle to make this up!
I know a few of you out there know me and you probably have some idea who I am talking about.
Mike
I am amazed:o that the police asked your mate the following ‘ He was asked whether he would have backed the horse had he known it had been layed by others’ <br>Every horse that is backed on Betfair is layed by others – that’s the principle behind the business and the reason for it’s success!! Do these detectives ( if that’s the right desciption for them? ) have any idea what they are doing. I see a ‘not guilty’ verdict is on the cards.
Quote: from sberry on 1:04 pm on Sep. 14, 2006[br]dubious stories such as this only feed fuel to those who have decided with no knowledge of the evidence gathered – including financial, communications, witnesses, surveillance, etc – that they are innocent.
what is not disputed is that this is not the first time allegations such as this have been laid at this door and enough evidence is available for a licence to ride being withdrawn – employers have the right to suspend workers before cases come to court, if they think the charges and what is known merit this
even if the courts fail to reach a verdict of guilt, action can still be taken if employers (HRA) believe on the balance of probabilities offences were committed – so what makes anyone think they will get their licence back or get compensation ? (this happens in normal employment too)
it strikes me that silly little stories such as this and hypothetical arguments surrounding horses winning or losing are being used more by those firmly in the ‘he’s innocent’ camp to support their arguments
my money is on the probability that evidence will be vastly more substantial than these people suspect or hope for, when it all comes to court
It seems to me that a lot of people here are already acting like they have access to the evidence and are thus making there own judgements. I think that alot of people are wishing him to be proven innocent and cant consider the idea that such a hero could be disgraced. ….this is a natural response if somewhat naive.
Some people however have a chip on their shoulder and thus cant really believe that these people up above them on there pedestals can be so clean….these people have possibly had very bad childhoods.
Personally I dont know anything about the case and am not privy to any inside info so Ill wait for the verdict.
However, I think what Betlarges story ….which i do believe…is that at least some of this investigation (although maybe on the periphery) will be done by Police officers with no experience of the horseracing and the betting world. A very similar thing happened happened a couple of years ago with my father when he was contacted by the police because of a friend of his who brought off a big gamble in Ireland…Some Bookies complained (not sure why)..no charges brought. But at the time, the officers involved obviously knew nothing about racing and subsequently ended up looking a bit thick.
Im no expert on police training but I assume the police must have a division or at least trained officers now who do know their onions in these matters and i assume they are instrumental in dealing with the current case.
SHL
<br>OK, so a police detective turns up on my doorstep (unannounced or did he make an appointment?) and starts asking me about my bets.
I’d want the answers to at least the following questions before I’d even consider giving a statement –
1 – How do you know I backed Levitator ?
2 – How did you know where to contact me ?
3 – Whay are you asking about a race that hasn’t previously been under investigation ?
4 – Why is a Met officer asking questions about a case that is being prepared by the City police economic crime unit ?
5 – Why are you still collecting evidence for a case that was passed over to prosecuting authorities months ago ?
6 – Why are you interested in a £25 bet ?
7 – How many other Betfair punters have you spoken to before me ?
8 – Is this statement wanted by the prosecution or the defence ?
9 – Would you expect me to be available to give evidence in court ?
Then again, perhaps I’m just too cautious.
We must have a few hundred Betfair customers on this forum – has anyone else been questioned? I had £400 on Levitator and I also laid Ballinger Ridge to lose about £800 and played on at least half of the other races that have been investigated – but nobody has approached me about this case.
How about you ??
AP
GreenGreenDesert, Big Blair will not be watching you for long :thumbup:
Unfortunately with Mr Brown’s record for financial rapaciousness I wonder what will happen to the flow of money in horse racing? :angry:
For the record I don’t think Fallon is guilty and I feel police are wating valuable time and resources (which I know are scarce) if the post from betlarge is true. I trust also that the police are abvle to make an informed decision about Fallon and horse racing.
And just a quick question do you think Fallon would still travel all over the world to ride horses if he was guilty? He clearly loves the sport.
(Edited by FlatSeasonLover at 9:44 pm on Sep. 14, 2006)
And just a quick question do you think Fallon would still travel all over the world to ride horses if he was guilty?
Well
yes!
Quote: from clivex on 9:53 pm on Sep. 14, 2006[br]
And just a quick question do you think Fallon would still travel all over the world to ride horses if he was guilty?
Well
yes!
Why bother?
Apracing
Clearly you still doubt the truthfulness of what I am saying.
I swear to you and all others that everything I have put on this forum is 100% accurate and true (albeit secondhand from my friend). One of the conversations he had with the officer was in my presence.
Please contact me via betlarge@aol.com and I will furnish you with the name and two telephone numbers for the officer in question. You may then put your list of questions to him. I may also be able to get a photocopy of the statement.
Alternately, would you let me furnish your details to him (only with your express permission, of course) as judging by the bets you have struck he would surely be interested in your input.
I can stand most insults but being called dishonest in public is not one of them. Send me your details forthwith and you can check on the veracity of everything I have said yourself.
Regards
Mike
<br>Mike,
I don’t question your honesty as you seem to think, I’m just putting myself in the shoes of your friend.
I confess the tale seemed unlikely when I read your first post, but the supporting evidence you’ve provided leaves no room for doubt.
But if I was your friend, I’d certainly want the answers to at least some of those questions. Most importantly, how did they decide to interview him – I presume we can both agree they aren’t knocking on doors at random and asking if anybody in the house has backed a horse ridden by Fallon in the last five years!
Personally I want nothing to do wth the police – I have past personal experience of giving evidence as an expert witness and it isn’t something I wish to repeat.
What surprises me most of all is that you don’t seem in any way concerned at how the police knew so much about your friend.
If Betfair are passing on the names and details of all punters that have backed a Fallon ridden horse, then I think their customers might want to know about it.
AP <br>
This is funny:<br> Quote:"Im no expert on police training but I assume the police must have a division or at least trained officers now who do know their onions in these matters and i assume they are instrumental in dealing with the current case. "
They have the Betfair records. That is all they want. Fallon is irrelevant to the Police and the judicial and the government. He will be made a spectacle of to cover up the governments building of a database to monitor all finacial transactions. The results will lead to legislation that all betting will be eventually monitored, and maximum bets introduced. Mark my words.
I do not think Fallon or any racing corruption warrants this level of police resources when people are getting away with the most vicious crimes and they do nothing. They don’t even respond to many calls these days.
They are filth in my book. Taxmen with truncheons.<br>And now they have the right to run round killing people that look the same colour as terrorists.
You trust a police force to look over an issue like racing corruption when their so called elite can’t tell the difference between a Brazilian and an Arab?
(Edited by GreenGreenDesert at 2:35 am on Sep. 15, 2006)
Apracing
I’m seeing my friend today so I will ask him how the police got his details and let the Forum know. I believe I am right in saying that the first contact was via a telephone call to his business address.
I think you misunderstand where I’m ‘coming from’ in this exchange. I’m not trying to weave some fanciful story of my mate being Mr Fixit. This is not the case at all.
I am saying that we should all be concerned that so much police time, effort and money is clearly being spent on collating what looks like very dubious ‘evidence.’ They may have ‘40,000 pages’ of evidence but if it is all from such doorstepping, it counts for nothing.
The sub-heading to this topic was ‘this beggars belief…" and I feel this way precisely because of many of the reasons you’ve outlined (i.e. small punter, seemingly clean race, no obvious reason to call on him etc).
I would hazard a guess that his details were gleaned from Betfair as part of their ‘memorandum of understanding’ with the authorities.
As to why they chose him rather than me, you or the Pope is completely beyond me. Just a random selection, perhaps?
Mike
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