Moore ‘Conditionally Free’

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32382, 22 August 1970, Page 13

Moore ‘Conditionally Free’

(N.Z.P.A. -Reuter— Copyright) BOGOTA (Colombia), August 21. A judge investigating theft charges against the England soccer captain, Bobby Moore, today switched his probe to the accu sers after a Court decision which said that the footballer would remain conditionally free but did hot declare him innocent

Last night Judge Dorado began to look into allegations by the intelligence chief, Mr Jaime Ramirez, earlier this week that prosecution witnesses collaborated in bringing charges against Mr Moore. The judge’s first task was to investigate an alleged contract between key witnesses, Alvaro Suarez and Danilo Rojas, owner of the Green Fire jewellery store in the plush Tequendama Hotel where the theft was alleged to have occurred.

The ruling on Mr Moore came yesterday from a threeman tribunal of the Bogota Superior Court. It agreed the 29-year-old star should not be arrested on charges of stealing a SUSI4OO bracelet from a jewellery shop last May pending further investigations into the case. The three judges ruled that Moore’s conditional freedom would continue and stated'he could no longer be sum-

moned to appear before a Colombian Court unless he came back to the country. The tribunal said it “confirms the conditional freedom (of Mr Moore) as regards his obligation to appear before Colombian authorities but solely and exclusively in the event of his returning to Colombian territory.” Under the contract, Rojas pledged to help Suarez if ha needed a lawyer, and verbally promised the salesman SUS26O if he testified, Mr Ramirez said.