Stephen Lee: Match-fixer claims he 'has proof' to clear his name

Banned former world number five Stephen Lee says he has evidence that will prove he is innocent of match-fixing.

The 38-year-old was given a 12-year ban and ordered to pay £40,000 costs after being found guilty of seven charges.

But he told Talksport: "I have put all the money trails in place to show it is all legitimate and statements from seven players and two top-class referees who saw no wrongdoing.

"I'm going to clear my name. The facts will be coming out shortly."

Lee, who has been a professional for more than 20 years and has won five ranking titles, was found to have fixed outcomes in seven matches in 2008 and 2009.

In a 35-page summary of the case following a hearing in Bristol last month, tribunal chairman Adam Lewis QC said three groups of gamblers made a total profit of nearly £100,000 from betting on his matches.

The tribunal ruled he deliberately lost matches against Ken Doherty and Marco Fu at the 2008 Malta Cup and agreed to lose the first frame against both Stephen Hendry and Mark King at the 2008 UK Championship.

In addition, Lee lost matches by a predetermined score to Neil Robertson at the 2008 Malta Cup and to Mark Selby at the 2009 China Open.

Lee, from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, was also found to have conspired to lose his 2009 World Championship first-round encounter with Ryan Day, a match in which he was beaten 10-4.

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) said Lee was involved in "the worst case of snooker corruption that we've seen".

The governing body said Lee had been in contact with three sets of people who placed a variety of bets on his matches and added that, on one occasion, half the winnings of a successful bet were placed into his wife's bank account.

"The money they said had gone into my wife's bank account from betting is all lies," Lee protested. "Complete lies and we've got proof of that.

"No wrong money has gone into that account at all. It's in the appeal.

"Hopefully I can come through the other side. I want to get back playing. I really love this sport. There is no way in the world I would ever take any money to lose a frame or a match."

The WPBSA said on Wednesday that it had asked Sport Resolutions UK to handle the appeal and appoint an independent QC to chair the appeals committee.