Blow for inquiry into Cole tap row

The Ashley Cole tapping inquiry faced a major setback today after it emerged that the key witness in the scandal will not be able to give evidence.

Pini Zahavi, who played a major role in the secret meeting between the England defender and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho at a London hotel, cannot be called by investigators because his registration as an agent is in Israel.

Cole will today give evidence to investigator Nick Fitzpatrick at the headquarters of the Premier League's lawyers, Denton Wilde Sapte.

Zahavi is the only person able to reveal who instigated the meeting between Cole, his agent Jonathan Barnett and Chelsea's Peter Kenyon and Mourinho.

Chelsea admit that the meeting took place but insist the initiative came from Cole's representatives, while Barnett is adamant that he went to the Royal Park Hotel to discuss Cole's future with Zahavi and was surprised when Kenyon and Mourinho appeared.

It is understood that Barnett will attempt to blame Zahavi for Chelsea's presence, but the club insist he has done nothing wrong and was simply acting on the instructions of his fellow agent.

A formal Premier League inquiry, which is now certain to follow the initial investigation as both parties have admitted a meeting took place, but the question of who instigated it is crucial. If Chelsea's claims are proven then Cole and Barnett are likely to be charged under rule K5 for contacting another club while under contract, but if the League accept their testimony Chelsea will be charged for making an illegal approach under rule K3.

Chelsea remain confident of being exonerated and have added to Arsenal's problems by contacting the club to withdraw their interest in Cole.