A former Super Eagle defender Sam Sodje has declared that the allegations of bribery and money laundering against him in 2013 were false.
Speaking in an interview session on PUNCH on Friday, the defender said the situation wasn’t a good time in his life.
Recall that the 41-year-old was alleged to have helped laundered cash worth £80,000 from an international fraud syndicate. Thereby targeting companies in Colombia, India, Italy and Abu Dhabi.
“There was a video that came out in 2013 claiming I demanded money to fix matches. There were two individuals in that video, one was saying I looked like a criminal but he was the one who went to jail for 18 months, I didn’t,” Sodje said.
“Sincerely, it wasn’t a good time in my life. It was very bad and I was down as well. It was one moment that made me bitter. If my name was Mark Smith maybe I would not have suffered such disrespect at that time.
“Those who know me well will understand I will never do such.
“It was a setup. I never laundered money at any point in my career. If you know the bigger picture you will be amazed at what people could do to bring you down because of your colour.”
When asked to reveal what actually transpired, Sodje said, “I don’t feel bitter anymore. I was in court four times and I came out a winner four times.
“My lawyer told me after the final hearing that I had not won, but whatever I did afterwards was my victory. It happened seven years ago and I have learnt a lot from it. I’m doing very well now with my life after football.”