JOHANNESBURG: South Africa's cricket boss Gerald Majola was fired on Friday after an independent probe found him guilty of irregular bonuses linked to international tournaments staged in 2009.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) decided to “implement with immediate effect” a recommendation by the panel, it said in a statement.

“The sanction handed down by Advocate Karel Tip was that Mr Majola is dismissed from his service with CSA with immediate effect,” it said.

The suspended chief executive on Wednesday was found guilty of nine charges linked to the 2009 Indian Premier League (IPL) and ICC Champions Trophy staged in South Africa, as well as the misuse of his travel funds.

He paid himself 1.7 million rands ($198,000, 151,000 euros) in unapproved bonuses during the tournaments.

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula launched the independent inquiry after Majola's own board cleared him of wrongdoing.

The three-year saga threatens to drag on even longer as he has challenged the disciplinary process in the labour court. President Jacob Zuma is named as one of the respondents in the case.

The IPL tournament dates clashed with those of elections in India three years ago, raising security concerns and forcing the Twenty20 event to be switched to South Africa.