EL-ISSA IN HOT WATER AFTER YEPPOON BETTING INQUIRY
JOCKEY Bobby El-Issa has been suspended for three months and fined $500 on charges of betting on races and making false statements.
Queensland Racing Limited stewards today concluded an inquiry after investigating allegations that El-Issa bet on races run at Yeppoon on Tuesday, October 27, 2009.
Evidence was taken from a number of witnesses to the effect that:- on October 27, 2009, six jockeys, including jockey El-Issa, travelled from Rockhampton to Yeppoon in a maxi taxi to take part in the Yeppoon races. Two QRL officials travelled with them;
- during the trip, the taxi stopped at a suburban Rockhampton shopping centre with an adjoining tavern and jockey El-Issa left the vehicle for a short period;
- a QRL Steward in the area for a completely unrelated reason recognised jockey El-Issa and followed him into the tavern where he was seen at the tavern’s TAB facilities;
- on arrival at Yeppoon and after raceday Stewards received information from the Steward who had seen jockey El-Issa in the tavern and from the two QRL officials, a search of jockey El-Issa’s gear was conducted. The search failed to reveal a betting slip and he denied having bet on the races and, when Stewards required the production of his wallet for the search, denied having a wallet;
- in a telephone conversation with the Chief Stipendiary Steward on the same day jockey El-Issa again denied betting;
- the tavern manager who operated the TAB facility and the security camera footage established jockey El-Issa placed a bet;
- evidence from UNiTAB revealed a bet had been placed on two horses to be ridden by jockey El-Issa;
- other riders in the taxi and the driver of the maxi taxi had been questioned and had confirmed that the taxi had stopped but could offer no information as to the purpose of jockey El-Issa exiting the cab, as ther was no discussion in the taxi about the reason for the stop.
El-Issa was charged with one charge under Australian Rule of Racing 83(c) with betting on races and with three charges under Australian Rule of Racing 175(gg) of making false statements.
El-Issa pleaded guilty to the breach of AR83(c) and was fined the sum of $500.
El-Issa was found guilty of each breach of AR175(gg) and was suspended for a period of three months on each charge, with such suspensions to be served concurrently. The period of suspension is to commence at midnight on Wednesday 4 November 2009.
