According to his lawyer, Usain Bolt, the Olympic legend and world champion, is “shocked and disappointed” by the lack of progress in the SSL fraud case, which has been ongoing for more than a year.
Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt expressed his disappointment and amazement at the lack of openness surrounding the investigation into the billions of dollars that were fraudulently taken from the accounts of over thirty other clients at Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL) more than a year ago.
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The 100- and 200-meter sprint world record holder is also “frustrated” that there has been no update about his stolen US$12.7 million, even after the Federal Bureau of Inquiry (FBI) in the US and other foreign partners announced the start of a criminal inquiry.
In a recent interview with Bolt’s lawyer, Linton Gordon, he noted that his client is desperate to find out who is in charge of his money that went missing from the scandal-plagued investment company.
Gordon stated, “[Dr. Nigel] Clarke announced that investigators were coming from Canada, England Timbuktu, and from the United States. We haven’t had one iota of information regarding the outcome of those investigations. So, we don’t know who took the money; who we can turn to, because everything is now under cover.”
Calls to Clarke’s phone remained unanswered, making it impossible to get in touch with him for comment on the subject. Clarke is leaving his role as minister of finance and the public service later this month to take a senior role at the International Monetary Fund.
Clarke declared to the country in January 2023 that the Financial Investigations Division-led team of detectives was “resolute and determined” to expose the fraud’s complexity and apprehend those responsible.
At the time, he acknowledged that Jamaica’s reputation may be damaged internationally by the SSL issue, which was gaining steam swiftly.
Bolt recently posted several cryptic messages to his social media pages, which have fans and users wondering if they have anything to do with his missing funds or if there may be a conspiracy behind them.
In one of his posts, the multiple world champion questioned whether the young people loved their country more than themselves.
He discussed “fake news” and the idea that “time is longer than rope” in two additional posts. The latter is a proverb from Jamaica that says to wait patiently for your opportunity.
“He’s very frustrated and disappointed. He’s simply shocked and disappointed to know a country he has put on the map and he put his money in an institution here, that he has lost it or he can’t get it back,” Gordon stated.
The initial amount Bolt invested, or US$6.2 million, or US$12.7 million, was the subject of a lawsuit launched by Bolt’s parent company, Welljen, against SSL and Jean-Ann Panton, a former client relationship manager of SSL.
At SSL, Welljen’s account was first established in 2012. The famed sprinter said the money was for his retirement.
Gordon informed The Gleaner that the court had mandated a halt to all proceedings while SSL trustee Caydion Campbell conducted an inquiry and provided a report. The court also declared that no additional orders were necessary while preparing the report.
Gordon stated that when the case returns to the judge later this month, he anticipates receiving an update on how the team can proceed.
