Trial told of Fashanu's hero status

The former footballer John Fashanu - accused with three others of being involved in a match-rigging plot - has a high status in Africa and is a national hero in Zambia, Winchester Crown Court was told yesterday.

Robert Smith, executive director of the United Kingdom Committee for Unicef, said Mr Fashanu was "our special ambassador for the children of Africa". He said: "We knew of the astonishing reputation he had in Africa both at a political level and with ordinary people. I think his action in helping to rebuild the Zambian football team after the tragic accident when the whole team was killed in an air crash made him a national hero in that country."

Mr Fashanu, 34, the former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, 39, former Wimbledon goalkeeper Hans Segers, 35, and Heng Suan Lim, 31, a Malaysian, deny conspiring to give and accept corrupt payments to influence the outcome of matches.

Mr Fashanu, formerly of Wimbledon and Aston Villa, has declined to give evidence and Mr Smith was called to speak on his behalf. The Unicef director told the court about the work Mr Fashanu had done in Africa, including promoting the awareness of Aids among young people. He said Mr Fashanu had an "extraordinary status" in Africa and had connections with political leaders.

The former football manager Ron Atkinson, now director of football at Coventry City, told the court how Mr Fashanu contacted him when he was managing Aston Villa in 1994 to ask if he was interested in signing a Nigerian player that he was recommending. "My reply was I would be more interested in himself if he felt it was possible to get away," Mr Atkinson said.

Mr Fashanu moved from Wimbledon to Aston Villa but injury ended his career a few months later.

Asked if Mr Fashanu always gave 100 per cent, Mr Atkinson said: "Only when he wasn't trying. When he was trying, he gave a lot more than that."

Describing his character, he said: "He's a very, very confident person ... he's always given the impression that he's one of those that's wanted to make something of his life."

Asked if he found Fashanu honest, Mr Atkinson said: "I've never found him anything less."

Mr Fashanu's wife, Melissa Kassa Mapsi - daughter of a parliamentary senator in Gabon - was asked about payments into her bank accounts from Indonesia.

She replied that she had no contact directly with anyone in Indonesia; the money was not hers personally and she had been receiving it on behalf of her husband.

She explained that some time in 1991 Mr Fashanu had asked her if he could use her bank accounts to receive money. "He said this money was loan money. He wanted to keep it separate from his ordinary money, which was income money, so he would not have to pay tax on the loan money."

The trial was adjourned until Monday.