Sir Garfield Sobers backs beleaguered cricket mogul Stanford

Texas, Dec 18(ANI): Former West Indian cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers has stood up for Texan billionaire and fraudster Allen Stanford, who is in jail awaiting trial on charges related to an alleged seven billion dollar Ponzi scam, saying that his money had been good for Caribbean cricket.

"I know that some are pretending they never trusted him, but I couldn't do that," The Times quoted Sir Garfield, as saying.

"I did and I still do. I've seen pictures of him in chains, which they don't seem to do to other people accused of crimes. I hope that he is cleared," he added.

Stanford has been accused in several fraud investigations, and has been charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with fraud and multiple violations of U.S. securities laws for alleged "massive ongoing fraud" involving billions of dollars in certificates of deposits.

He has also been accused of running a Ponzi scheme targeting clients of his offshore bank in Antigua.

Stanford has been in a detention facility in Houston since his arrest in June. (ANI)