Victor Agali's lawyer says he is innocent

More facts are emerging in the shocking news about the arrest of former Super Eagles lanky striker, Victor Okechukwu Agali in Holland.

Few hours after the report hit the international media and airwaves that the Levadiakos of Greece striker, who once played for Olympique Marseille and OGC Nice of France, had been arrested at Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam for carrying two fake passports, Agali's lawyer, Bob Kaarls has issued a statement protesting the star's innocence.

Kaarls said Agali, fondly called Okey Banana during his early days in Lagos, was returning to Greece after visiting his wife and child in Nigeria, and disclosed that officials at the star's club had indicated that they are willing to pay the bail to secure their striker's freedom.

Dutch authorities claimed that the Schengen visa contained in the second document, issued by Cyprus, did not meet requisite standards, but Kaarls insists it was all a mix-up.

"The (first) passport judged problematic by officials was sent to him in this form by post by Nigerian authorities in 2007," he said.

Additional reports indicated that the Dutch police have already made an official statement on the development and gendarmerie spokesman, Robert van Kapel explained that Agali was apprehended two days after Christmas.

"At passport control, on December 27, he (Agali) was found to be in possession of a fake passport," said Kapel.

Upon further investigation, the 31-year-old striker in transit at Schiphol on a voyage from Lagos to Athens, turned out to have two sets of fake travel documents, said Van Kapel.

"In the one, the page with his personal particulars has been modified, in the other it was the visa," he said.

A judge will now decide whether to extend the footballer's provisional detention for further investigation.

During his itinerant professional career, Gangling Agali has also played for FC Toulon of France, Germany's Schalke 04 and Hansa Rostock, Xanthi Skoda of Greece and Rizespor of Turkey.

Daily Trust

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