John Egan's in trouble

[corkey boy]

Just got this from the HKJC
Statement from the Hong Kong Jockey Club
With a court case pending on jockey John Egan, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is not in a position to comment on today's statement issued by the ICAC relating to charges alleging that jockey John Egan accepted an advantage from a horse owner in return for his providing racing tips.
However, the Jockey Club strongly urges jockey Egan to respond to the arrest warrant and return to Hong Kong in accordance with the conditions originally set by the court.
The court has directed Egan to return to Hong Kong by the 30th of June. We believe that jockey Egan should have complied with the court directive and failing this must now respond to this arrest warrant.
The Jockey Club has also been advised that the Department of Justice has not yet completed its legal review concerning Robbie Fradd's case. We hope that a decision will be made as soon as possible. * * *
[ July 02, 2002: Message edited by: corkey boy ]

[hobbes]

it seems to me Egan is an idiot not to return unless he is afraid of possible charges and is willing to retire from riding. this assumes the JC could extend his suspension worldwide rather than just HK.
The Jockey Club has also been advised that the Department of Justice has not yet completed its legal review concerning Robbie Fradd's case. We hope that a decision will be made as soon as possible.
the ICAC and the Dept of Justice both suck. how much can there be to review, and how could it possibly take longer than 1 week. if they have any evidence ( which begins to seem unlikely ) they should charge him, and if not admit they are cretins and drop all charges.

[poledancer]

From Sporting Life:
Earlier on Tuesday Egan said: "The matter is in the hands of my lawyers and I can't really comment at the moment, only to say that I was never actually on police bail as I refused it."

[Scarper]

Wanted jockey riding in England
Warrant issued for arrest of bail-jumping rider John Egan for alleged bribe-taking
MAGDALEN CHOW and Racing Editor NICK PULFORD in London
Next Story
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Bail-jumping jockey John Egan was riding at a race meeting in England yesterday as a warrant for his arrest was issued in Hong Kong.
Investigators have revealed he will face trial for alleged bribe-taking if he returns to the territory.
The warrant was issued by Eastern Court magistrate Li Wai-chi after Egan failed to return to the SAR under the conditions of his bail imposed by the Independent Commission Against Corruption in March.
Inquiries by the South China Morning Post revealed that as yesterday's court hearing took place, Egan was preparing to ride Thundering Jay-Sea in the 4.30pm (11.30pm Hong Kong time) race at Great Yarmouth, a resort on the east coast of England. His mount was unplaced.
He has been racing regularly in Britain since leaving Hong Kong in April and last week he rode a winner at Royal Ascot.
Egan, South African jockey Robbie Fradd and 19 other people were arrested in an investigation into alleged race-fixing, codenamed "Green Grass", in February.
The two jockeys applied in court to have their travel documents returned and were allowed to leave Hong Kong on condition that they returned by 8pm on June 30.
Egan, 34, was also released on his own recognisance of $250,000. Fradd has returned to Hong Kong but Egan failed to re-surrender his travel documents to the ICAC by Sunday.
Outside yesterday's closed-door hearing, senior ICAC investigator Dominic Leung Lee-shing said that Egan would have been charged with one count of accepting an advantage contrary to a section of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance had he returned as he was scheduled to have done on Sunday.
It is alleged that Egan, while a Hong Kong Jockey Club-retained jockey, accepted money from a horse owner in January, an ICAC statement said.
An ICAC source said Egan allegedly accepted a bribe of $20,000. It was said to be an inducement or reward for Egan to pass horse racing tips to the horse owner in relation to a race in January.
Mr Leung said it was not yet known if the ICAC would initiate extradition procedures for Egan, but meetings would be held with the Department of Justice for further legal advice.
Others arrested in the operation included four other jockey club employees - two work riders, a racing registry assistant and a clerk.
The investigation into the other people arrested is continuing.
The ICAC said last night it had set up a hotline for information about Egan's whereabouts.
The Post passed on details of Egan's appearance at Yarmouth races yesterday, which was publicised in the racing pages of the British press. In a statement last night, the Hong Kong Jockey Club said: "[We] strongly urge jockey Egan to respond to the arrest warrant and return to Hong Kong."
Speaking at Great Yarmouth last night, Egan said: "The matter is in the hands of my lawyers and I can't really comment at the moment, only to say I was never actually on police bail as I refused it.
"I'm surprised by this."
Egan will appear before a UK Jockey Club disciplinary hearing today where a decision will be taken on whether to suspend him from riding.

[Scarper]

The ICAC said last night it had set up a hotline for information about Egan's whereabouts.
What the @#$%! Wanted Dead or Alive.

[hobbes]

Saturday, July 27, 2002 Stop Egan riding in Britain, ICAC urges
Bail-jumping jockey due to compete at Ascot meeting should be barred, UK Jockey Club told
FELIX CHAN
The ICAC has urged the British Jockey Club to stop bail-jumping jockey John Egan from continuing riding in the UK.
But the British Jockey Club says it has no plans to do so.
The head of the ICAC's operations department, Tony Kwok Man-wai, has written to the British Jockey Club after discovering that Egan will be riding in tomorrow's Hong Kong Day, a racing event sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The event, to be held at Ascot, features the richest five-furlong handicap in Europe - the Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes.
Egan, 34, has been riding in Britain since April, two months after he was arrested in Hong Kong for allegedly taking a bribe - reputed to be $20,000 - in return for racing tips.
He failed to answer bail on June 30 and Independent Commission Against Corruption investigators then obtained a warrant for his arrest.
Egan was then summoned to appear before a British Jockey Club Licensing Committee hearing in London to decide if he should be stripped of his right to ride in Britain.
But officials said it had been decided not to suspend Egan's licence for the time being because they did not have a good cause for such action and "to do so could be an infringement of an individual's rights".
But Mr Kwok said some action should be taken against Egan.
"We officially informed you that the Department of Justice has advised there is sufficient evidence to charge Egan with an offence of corruption in connection with his duties as a jockey in Hong Kong.
"Under such circumstances, it seems to us there are clear doubts of the integrity of this jockey. We are most surprise to learn that he is allowed to continuing riding in the UK.
"It does not enhance the reputation of racing in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and elsewhere in the world," the letter read.
Mr Kwok added in the letter that Egan would have a fair trial should he return to the territory.
The ICAC said last night possible extradition proceedings were still being considered in the case of Egan.
The British Jockey Club confirmed it had received Mr Kwok's letter and was in the process of sending a reply explaining its position on the matter. It has also informed its Hong Kong counterpart of its position.
"There are currently no plans for the Jockey Club to review its position, although we continue to monitor the situation and can react should there be significant developments," a spokesman for the racing body said last night.
But he said a jockey riding in the UK while facing a charge overseas in connection with racing was a cause for great concern.

[Horny Harry]

Ascot in prolonged discussion with Hong Kong party
by Graham Green
THE ASCOT authorities were saved from potential embarrassment on Sunday when John Egan, the focus of an investigation into alleged bribery in Hong Kong, finished unplaced in the richest five-furlong handicap in Europe.
The sprint was sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club whose representatives, it is understood, would have been reluctant to present the winning trophy to the Irishman because of the situation he currently finds himself in.
Earlier Egan, aware of the controversy that could follow if he was successful aboard the Nick Littmoden-trained Peruvian Chief, indicated to a Jockey Club official his willingness to give up the mount, but he was encouraged to honour the booking.
Meanwhile Ascot chief executive Douglas Erskine-Crum was engaged in behind-the-scenes discussions with his visitors from HKJC right up to the start of racing.
Asked at that stage if the HKJC intended boycotting the jockey presentation in the event of Egan winning, Erskine-Crum admitted: “We are not quite sure yet what is going to happen. We are still working on it with the HKJC.”
Following the race, Erskine-Crum said: “We decided to wait and see what happened and had John Egan won, we would have played it by ear, but he didn’t win so that was the end of it.”
Egan, who has been plying his trade in Britain since April, was recently informed by the Jockey Club his licence will not be withdrawn based on the evidence it has so far received although the Independant Commission Again Corruption in the former colony hassince reportedly requested Portman Square to stop him riding.
Commenting on his predicament in a TV interview on Sunday, Egan said: It is in the hands of my lawyers at the moment. The charge that they have is in the process of being struck-out because it is flawed.”

[hobbes]

"Egan?" asked the reporter. "No. On the strength of the reports as I understand them to be, I don't believe so."
HKJC -- why is egan still not suspended by yourselves despite an arrest warrant out for him by the ICAC. nore same he racing connected and he has not bothered to return to answer the charges.