Sydney Maree

Sydney Maree (48), former Springbok long distance athlete, appeared in a Pretoria court yesterday on two charges of fraud, after being arrested at his Bryanston home. It is alledged that during April-June 2004, he transferred R917 700 from the National Empowerment Fund, where hen was the former chief executive, to his personal account. Sydney left South Africa in the late 1970s for the USA, which he represented in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The police have been investigating the case since November. Sydney was released on bail of R20 000. He owns homes in Pretoria and Johannesburg, valued at R2,5 million. The case has been put on the court roll for 7 June. Sydney has denied any wrongdoing, saying his arrest was a "smokescreen" created by his accusers to cover up their breach of corporate governance principles.