The Premier League will this afternoon announce that Quest, a company who describe themselves as providing security and information services to industry, will be entrusted with the task of conducting the sport's 'bungs' inquiry.
Quest, who have their headquarters in central
Within days (of the Fake Sheikh scandal) the Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, announced an inquiry. Since then the league have been conducting a search for a man to head the inquiry and a shortlist of eight was drawn up. This included Lord Woolf, the former Lord Chief Justice who headed the long-running Bloody Sunday inquiry, and Lord Stevens, who was Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police between 2000 and 2005.
In the end the Premier League, who have allocated £600,000 for this inquiry, decided to hire Quest, where Stevens is the non-executive chairman. Stevens will be named along with Nigel Layton, the firm's managing director, at a press conference today.
Many people suspect that bungs are difficult to detect because most of the deals result in agents paying managers abroad. But Quest say: "We have developed particular expertise in identifying beneficial owners of offshore trusts, as well as the experience to judge whether an individual or corporation has sufficient assets to justify litigation."
If nothing else the Premier League are hoping that by appointing Quest they will have warned any manager who may be tempted to take bungs.