Roebuck lured me with money before assaulting me: Facebook friend

Peter Roebuck's Zimbabwean Facebook friend, whose police complaint allegedly triggered his suicide, has claimed that the celebrated cricket writer lured him with money to meet him before sexually assaulting him in a Cape Town hotel.

As mystery continues to shroud the suicide of Roebuck, 26-year-old Itai Gondo, a refugee student from Zimbabwe, said the celebrated journalist "groomed" him on Facebook with promise of money for his college fees before sexually assaulting him.

The cash-strapped Gondo's claims were the subject of a South African police investigation on Roebuck's suicide, according to London tabloid 'The Sun'.

Gondo alleged that former Somerset captain spent days on Facebook luring him into a meeting, signing himself "dad" and offering to help with college fees.

Gondo came in contact with Roebuck through a university friend who knew one of 17 "adopted sons" who live at the cricket expert's 10-bedroom home in Pietermaritzburg.

He claimed that Roebuck agreed to meet him after a series of chats on the social networking site and signed off saying, "OK my boy, bring stick in case I need to beat you!"

The duo then allegedly met in a hotel suite in Cape Town during Roebuck's visit to South Africa to cover the first Test against Australia.

Gondo said they spoke for long hours before Roebuck allegedly sexually assaulted him on a bed.

"I was in shock and told myself that it couldn't be happening," Gondo said, adding that the alleged attack stopped only when his mobile phone rang.