MAZHAR Majeed, the man at the centre of cricket match-rigging allegations will "prove his innocence", one of his close friends has told the Advertiser.

Croydon Athletic Football Club's owner is under police investigation after being filmed apparently accepting £150,000 from undercover reporters to rig last week's test match between England and Pakistan.

On Saturday Majeed was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to cheat bookmakers and when he was released 24 hours later on bail customs officials were waiting for him at his £1.8 million home in Oaks Road, Shirley.

There he and his wife, Sheliza Manji, 35, were arrested as part of a Customs investigation into money laundering.

It is understood these allegations are separate to the News of the World sting which implicated him in a match-rigging conspiracy involving Pakistan captain Salman Butt, 25, and bowlers Mohammed Amir and Mohammad Asif.

Majeed's close friend, businessman Deva Ponnoosami, says the accusations are "completely out of character" for the 35-year-old property tycoon.

He explained: "The charity work he does and the support he has given to Croydon and what has been alleged do not seem to go together.

"I would like to believe that they are unfounded. He is an extremely nice, generous person and I was very surprised when I read what he was being accused of."

Mr Ponnoosami met Majeed through the pair's charity work.

Majeed, who owned Bluesky Developments, based in South Croydon, is well known for organising Croydon Business's charity cricket matches.

At one such event, held at Wallington's Cricket 4 Change ground in 2008, Majeed used his connections with the Pakistani cricket team, many of whom were sponsored by Bluesky, to arrange a guest appearance by Salman Butt.

He was due to sponsor a similar event, to raise money for disabled children, this month.

"That's the kind of guy he was," explained Mr Ponnoosami.

The scandal surrounding Majeed is the second time Croydon Athletic has been thrust into the headlines in as many months, after former chairman Dean Fisher was jailed for three years in July.

Mr Ponnoosami believes the investigation into Fisher, who defrauded the advertising company he worked for of £500,000, may go some way to proving his friend's innocence.

He said: "The accounts were audited by the FA.

"They didn't find anything untoward and that's got to mean something."

Mr Ponnoosami says his friend will be deeply hurt by the allegations but will come back stronger.

He explained: "You are innocent until proven guilty. I have no doubt he will undertake every endeavour to prove these are nothing more than allegations."