USA Swimming releases list of banned coaches

Dozens of U.S. swimming coaches, including a former national team director, received life bans by the sport’s national body for a range of offences such as sexual misconduct, doping and fraud.

Responding to criticism after allegations of abuse were reported by U.S. media earlier this year, USA Swimming released a list this week of 46 people who have been either barred for life or resigned their membership over the last two decades.

The list included 36 people who were cited for breaching USA Swimming’s Code of Conduct rules for sexual misconduct or “other inappropriate sexually oriented behavior.”

Among the names on the list was Everett Uchiyama, who resigned as national team director in 2006.

Two others were banned for fraud, another for illegal drugs or substances, two for unspecified felonies while the remaining five were for offences before the code of conduct was introduced.

USA Swimming had previously refused to name any individuals banned by their organization but relented after months of complaints and claims they were covering up sex-related cases.

Earlier this year, a U.S. television station broadcast a report on sexual misconduct cases in the sport that led USA Swimming to announce safeguards to protect children.

Fraud Asian couple jailed for conning friends off 464,000 pounds in UK

London, May 20(ANI): An Asian couple has been jailed in Cheshire, England, for conning a string of friends out of 464,000 pounds.

According to reports, Abdul Mohammed and his wife, Shahista, promised their victims that they would earn them up to 50 percent profit in just three months by investing in oil businesses in the Middle East.

The Chester Crown Court heard that the couple stole 464,000 pounds between May 2005 and March 2007 from five people.

The court jailed Abdul for four years after after he admitted five counts of theft, while Shahista was given an 18-month sentence after admitting one count of theft.

“They claimed to be millionaires, but were unemployed layabouts. This scam was all fur coat and no knickers,” The Sun quoted a friend of one victim, as saying.

The victims claimed that the couple kept the cash and used it to fund a lavish lifestyle.

They lived in a plush mansion in Cheshire, with three cars and enjoyed luxury holidays to Dubai and America.

They also sent their three kids to private school. (ANI)

N’Zogbia held over alleged driving test scam

Wigan Athletic’s French midfielder Charles N’Zogbia has been arrested over suspicion that he arranged for someone else to take part of his driving test for him, police said on Thursday.

N’Zogbia, who scored a last-minute winner for Wigan in their 3-2 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, was held by officers on Wednesday at a test centre in Greater Manchester, northern England.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said the player had been “badly advised”.

Newspapers said staff from the centre had become suspicious about a man who turned up to take the theory part of the driving test some weeks ago.

They reported that 23-year-old N’Zogbia was arrested as he was about to get into a car with an examiner for the practical test.

“At about 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, police working alongside the Driving Standards Agency arrested a 23-year-old man at Sale driving test centre on suspicion of fraud by false representation,” Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.

The player has been released on police bail until June 3.

“The way I see the whole situation is that Charles has been badly advised, and he’s made a naive mistake,” Martinez told a reporters.

“We’re going to look into every single detail before I give my full side of the story but what is important is Charles has reacted in a very mature way.

“We’ll collaborate with the police and with Charles to make sure we get out of this situation in a positive way.”

The offence of fraud by false representation carries a maximum jail term of 10 years.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Steve Addison/Kevin Fylan/Pritha Sarkar.

To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Obama administration says ‘conflict’ with Karzai resolved

Washington, Apr 20(ANI): The Obama administration has said that its issues with Afghan President Hamid Karzai are a thing of the past, and announced that Karzai will visit Washington next month.

“In terms of our relationships with the government of Afghanistan, we feel they are in good shape. There was a period where the waters got roiled a little bit, but that period is over,” The Washington Post quoted Richard C. Holbrooke, the US Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, as saying.

Holbrooke further said the reports of friction between him and the Afghan leader were overblown, and his two-hour visit with Karzai last week in Kabul was “the longest, most sustained and most focused” of five meetings this year alone.

Earlier, the White House had said that it would consider cancelling Karzai’s visit, if he continued to make controversial accusations against Western interference in Afghanistan.

Tensions between the West and Karzai flared up last month, when Karzai accused the West and the United Nations of perpetrating fraud in the August presidential election and described the Western military coalition as coming close to being seen as invaders who would give the insurgency legitimacy as “a national resistance.”

Karzai is scheduled to visit Washington on May 10 to May 14 for meetings at the White House and with the administration’s top national security officials. (ANI)

Man jailed for Centrelink fraud

A Brisbane man who pleaded guilty to defrauding the Commonwealth of more than $187,000 has been jailed for three years.

The District Court heard that Thomas Albert Brooks, 63, used an alias to fraudulently claim Centrelink payments for 20 years.

Judge Hugh Botting sentenced Mr Brooks to three years’ jail with a non-parole period of 12 months.

Hank Jongen from Centrelink says people can make sure welfare payments only go to those in need by reporting anyone deliberately committing fraud.

Qld residents allegedly lose $2m in investment scheme

Police are urging members of the public to be wary of get rich quick schemes, after 52 people allegedly lost more than $2 million in an investment scheme.

Two men have been charged with fraud after allegedly assuming false identities on the Gold Coast in south-east Queensland.

Police allege the company promised investors high returns for little effort from investments in sporting events, gold, and a gas pipeline.

One of the men is due in court today in Brisbane and the other is due in court in mid-May.

Confusion marks Sudan election

Widespread confusion has marred the first day of voting in Sudan’s first multi-party election in 24 years.

About 16 million people are eligible to vote in the presidential, parliamentary and state elections, and they have until Tuesday to cast their ballots.

In the south of the country, voters have been asked to fill in as many as 12 ballot papers, yet 70 per cent of the region’s population is illiterate.

While President Omar al-Bashir is expected to hold on to power, the legitimacy of his position will be questioned given most opposition candidates chose to boycott the poll because of fears of fraud.

There are reports that some government election officials are instructing people to vote for the president, who seized power in 1989 in a bloodless coup.

A 2005 peace deal that ended years of civil war in Sudan – Africa’s biggest country – paved the way for the elections.

Of greater potential significance to the country will be a referendum hel

Sudan starts historic vote, security tight

KHARTOUM/JUBA, April 11 (Reuters) – Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese queued up to start voting on Sunday, in historic elections already marred by allegations of fraud that will test the fragile unity of a nation divided by decades of civil conflict.

There were chaotic scenes at some polling centres — south Sudan’s president Salva Kiir had to wait 20 minutes under a tree for his voting station to open in the southern capital Juba and ended up spoiling his first ballot by putting it in the wrong box.

Queues started forming in the morning in Khartoum, where the streets were unusually quiet amid a heavy police presence and there were reports of delays in other areas.

Sudan’s police said they would deploy 100,000 officers across northern Sudan to guard polling stations and ward off unrest during three days of voting to choose a national president, a leader for the semi-autonomous south, assemblies and governors. (Reporting by Opheera McDoom and Skye Wheeler)

Arrests over EFPTOS skimming scam

Seven members of what police describe is the most sophisticated card skimming syndicate ever seen in Western Australia have been arrested.

It is alleged they installed an EFTPOS machine fitted with a skimming device at a Perth supermarket and used the information to fraudulently obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars from customers bank accounts.

It is understood much of the money was laundered overseas.

Police also seized a significant amount of equipment used to tamper with ATM devices and EFTPOS devices.

Detective Sergeant Duncan Taylor says it is alleged the seven men played different roles in the fraud syndicate.

“There’s a range, we’ve certainly arrested mid to high-tier members of the syndicate on this occasion and some of the items involved in the seizure would indicate we’ve got some of the more technical members of the syndicate,” he said.

School director guilty of fraud

The director of three Islamic schools in Perth has been found guilty of illegally claiming millions of dollars in Federal and State Government funding.

Abdullah Magar had been on trial for the past three weeks accused of inflating the number of students attending the schools to claim additional funding in 2005 and 2006.

He set up the schools in Dianella, Kewdale and Thornlie.

The principal of one of the schools was also found guilty of five fraud offences, while the principal of a second campus was acquitted of three charges.

Magar will face a sentencing hearing next month.

Alcohol tester to expose drink fraud developed

London, March 29 (ANI): Experts have come up with a briefcase-sized testing kit that helps measure alcohol content in drinks.

The new portable device, manufactured by Unisensor Sensorsysteme, also of Karlsruhe, was said to be available for 3,000 pounds and produced almost similar results to powerful lab equipment.

Dirk Lachenmeier of the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation testing agency in Karlsruhe, Germany, who helped develop and test the technology, explained a spectrometer within the system played a key role in measuring the alcohol content.

“It only takes 30 to 60 seconds,” New Scientist quoted Lachenmeier as saying.

The test results have been published in Chemistry Central Journal. (ANI)

Rudd urged to release insulation report

The Federal Opposition says the Prime Minister must release a report into the controversial home insulation scheme.

The $2.5 billion program was scrapped after it was linked to four deaths and allegations of fraud.

Last night the Government was handed a report by the former public servant, Allan Hawke, who examined problems in the design of the scheme.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister says the Government has not decided whether to release the findings.

But Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt says Kevin Rudd has no choice.

“With now 120 house fires, 1,500 potentially deadly electrified roofs, 240,000 dangerous or dodgy roofs and four human tragedies, this report cannot be secret,” he said.

Chartwell director pleads guilty to fraud

A former director of failed Geelong stockbroking firm, Chartwell Enterprises, has pleaded guilty to fraud in the Supreme Court.

Chartwell Enterprises collapsed in 2008, owing more than $60 million.

Ian Rau has pleaded guilty to eight charges, including dishonest conduct, and trading without a licence.

He will be back in court in June.

Centrelink worker created dozens of false accounts, court told

A Centrelink employee created false accounts to claim tens of thousands of dollars in social security payments, an Adelaide court has heard.

The District Court was told Kevin Lee McInerheney, 33, created 26 fake identities and used those of four genuine Centrelink customers to claim welfare payments over three months, totalling $66,000.

The prosecutor said most of the fraud happened after normal working hours and associated records were created in an effort to avoid detection.

McInerheney pleaded guilty to 30 counts of deception.

His lawyer asked that the man not be given an immediate jail term because of psychiatric issues.

He said the offending was out of character.

The prosecutor argued jail was warranted to send a clear message that Centrelink fraud, especially by an employee, could not be tolerated.

‘Fake music producer’ denies fraud

A Sydney court has heard that a man will plead not guilty to fraud after accusations he made $6.5 million by pretending to be a music producer.

Dimitri de Angelis was arrested at his Turramurra home on Friday night.

Police say he used fake documents to convince would-be singers he was a music producer.

De Angelis was charged with 27 counts of fraud. Today at Central Local Court, prosecutors laid an extra two charges against him.

De Angelis’ lawyer said the 44-year-old would plead not guilty to all charges and asked for a bail application hearing.

He also told the court de Angelis is no fraud, having published 10 music CDs.

The prosecutor said de Angelis has a criminal record in Western Australia where he once worked as a bouncer, but police are yet to provide the court with details of that charge.

The magistrate ordered the prosecutor to find proof of de Angelis’ criminal record.

The case has been adjourned for a week.

Brett Stewart to face sexual assault trial

NRL star Brett Stewart has been committed to stand trial over the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl last year.

The 25-year-old Manly full-back is accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl outside her home on Sydney’s northern beaches.

A Magistrate has decided the evidence will be put before a jury at the District Court in Sydney next month.

Earlier, the father of the alleged victim told the committal hearing that his daughter was upset when she first told him about what had happened.

He said he confronted Stewart outside the family home.

The girl’s father said the star was slurring his words, that his fly was open and his belt was undone and he repeatedly said ” I didn’t touch her bro”.

He testified Stewart threatened his family.

Stewart’s lawyers accused the girl’s father of telling a ‘pack of lies’ and detailed his past criminal history which includes a jail sentence for fraud.

The girl’s father admitted he has been jailed but told Stewart’s lawyers “it doesn’t excuse what your client did to my daughter”.

Stewart left the court on crutches as the result of a knee injury suffered at the start of this year’s NRL season.

He did not comment to the waiting media.

The 25-year-old is due to face court again on April 9.

Police say ‘music producer’ scammed $6.5m

A man has been charged over fraud offences worth more than $6.5 million.

Police say the 44-year-old man falsified documents and fraudulently obtained money from a number of people who thought he was a music producer.

Police arrested the man at a Turramurra home after a search yesterday afternoon.

He has been charged with 27 counts of fraud and has been refused bail.

Centre issues code to prevent age fraud in sports

New Delhi, Mar 20 (ANI): The Union Government on Saturday issued the “National Code against Age Fraud in Sports,” to ensure fair play in sports.

The code shall be operative from April 1 and shall be binding upon all athletes and sports bodies.

As per the code, all new and existing players participating in age restricted tournaments will be required to once undergo a compulsory medical examination for age determination after which they will be issued an identity card by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the National Sports Federation (NSFs).

Once an I-Card is issued, fresh medical examination will not be required for subsequent participation, a statement said.

According to the Union Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry, any existing athlete found to be overage, will have the option to appeal,and in case he or she is found to be overage even after going through the appeal process, he or she shall not be allowed to participate in the competitions meant for lower age groups.

The Sports Authority of India will notify a panel of doctors and hospitals state or region wise for carrying out the medical examination and also the list of appellate panel of hospitals.

The cost for medical examination conducted by the Sports Authority of India and NSFs shall be reimbursed by the Government.

Compliance with the Code will become part of the eligibility criteria for recognition of National Sports Federations by the Union Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry and hence non-compliance with the code will attract suspension or de-recognition clause in respect of the defaulting federations. (ANI)

Sydney man arrested over internet wrist watch scam

A man has been charged with numerous counts of fraud in Sydney’s south after police raided his home and seized holograms capable of making fake credit cards.

Police arrested the 24-year-old man at a unit in Maroubra at about 10:00am on Wednesday and took him in for questioning.

It followed a search of the unit where officers also seized a Ferrari, cash, computers and encoding equipment.

New South Wales Police say they investigated the man after receiving information from a law enforcement agency in the United States and Victoria Police in connection with the illegal sale of watches over the internet.

The man was refused bail and will appear in court later today.

Anyone with information about internet crime is asked to call Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.