Five sentenced for stealing from England team
Reuters - Monday 28 June 2010, 17:33
JOHANNESBURG - Four men and a woman were
convicted and sentenced for stealing money and other items from
the hotel rooms of some England players, South Africa's
prosecution authority said on Monday.
Mthunzi Mhaga, spokesman for the National Prosecution
Authority, said the incident was reported by the hotel on
Saturday.
"The five involved have been arrested, they pleaded guilty
and have been sentenced by a special World Cup court," Mhaga
said.
They were each sentenced to three years in prison or a 6,000
rands ($791.5) fine.
South Africa set up 56 special courts to deal swiftly with
cases involving visitors for the World Cup.
Mhaga said all five were employees of the Royal Marang
Hotel, part of the exclusive training camp built ahead of the
World Cup where the England team had been staying near
Rustenburg, about 150 km north west of Johannesburg.
Police said they recovered some items including a FIFA gold
medal, some British pounds, jerseys and other items to the value
of about 80,000 rands ($10,550).
England crashed out of the World Cup on Sunday, losing to
Germany 4-1 in the last 16.
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