John Higgins is innocent, claims agent

John Higgins' agent insisted today that the former world snooker champion is not guilty of match-fixing.

Higgins was appearing at the opening of a two-day tribunal in London to answer charges stemming from a News of the World investigation.

"The tribunal has just started," Jim Cassidy said. "John Higgins is 100 per cent innocent of any aspect of match-fixing."

The agent's claims were, though, at odds with reports running on Sky News. They claimed that Higgins and his representative, Pat Mooney, had admitted match-fixing. The hearing centred on claims the pair offered to submit to bribes from undercover reporters in Ukraine in exchange for almost £300,000 in kickbacks.

Higgins is appearing at a behind-closed-doors hearing organised by Sport Resolutions, an independent dispute resolution service. The
35-year-old Scot was suspended by World Snooker after the sport was rocked by the frame-fixing allegations on 2 May.

There could be weeks of waiting for the three-times champion and former world No1 if the independent panel, headed by Ian Mill QC, decide against announcing their verdict tomorrow.