by Jerry Roberts

Michael Olowokandi of the Los Angeles Clippers has been cleared of any wrongdoing connected to a Dec. 1 incident at his Manhattan Beach home during which he was arrested in connection with three felony charges brought by his girlfriend, Suzane Ketcham.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Victim Impact Program unit reviewed the evidence gathered by Manhattan Beach police, including photographs and eyewitness accounts, and concluded Friday that the seven-foot center committed no crimes, let alone Ketcham’s charges of imprisonment, robbery and suspicion of cohabitant abuse. Two days after the player was released on $50,000 bail, Ketcham recanted her story in a interview with police detectives.

But the police followed through with the case, filing it with the DA in a procedure that’s routine in the criminal justice system. Olowokandi’s lawyer, George T. Bird Jr., then actively sought a meeting with the DA so the player could tell his side of the story.

"These types of matters are very precarious, because of the public attention they draw," said Olowokandi’s agent, Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management. "But our position all along has been that Michael was innocent of any wrongdoing and we are appreciative that his legal counsel did an excellent job in expediently handling the matter so that Michael could focus on his life and career."

"No crime has been committed," said Bird. "Michael has said that he was looking forward to the truth coming out. It was better for us to present our evidence to the district attorney now, rather than waiting to present it to a jury. The result was that our client did not have to face a trial, even if he would ultimately have been acquitted. There is no need to fight the fight, if by communicating with the prosecutor, we can help them make an informed decision, and not charge our client with any crime."

Olowokandi, who was the first overall pick in the 1998 National Basketball Association draft by the Clippers, is in his third year with the team. The Nigerian-born, British-raised center only began playing basketball when he was 17 years old in England. He has lived in Manhattan Beach for several years. ER