Nationwide News understands that a high level probe facilitated by international forensic investigators, who were hired to examine the debacle at collapsed brokerage house Stocks and Securities Limited, SSL, has found that a substantial portion of Usain Bolt’s reported principal investment, was stolen before it ever reached an account at SSL.
The stunning development comes in the wake of a recent interview given by the track legend, in which he insisted that it’s the government that holds the key to him being reimbursed his almost $ 2 billion investment.
George Davis has our story.
Our sources include a senior official who has worked closely with the investigations.
Nationwide News has for months been trying to ascertain how, when and if one of Jamaica’s finest sons will ever reclaim his substantial investment of over US $12 million or approximately JM $2 billion in SSL.
We have been told that the picture is grim.
Our sources say the investigations, which have been supported by the UK based forensics auditing firm, Kroll Associates, have found that Bolt’s management team was sent fake invoices and updates by criminal accused, Jean-Ann Panton.
We are told that the fake invoices misled the track legend into believing that all of his intended principal investment was in fact sent to SSL.
The fake documents also had the effect of leading Bolt’s team to believe that his investment had grown appreciably.
We are told that the investigations show that the bulk of the sum Bolt sent to be invested in SSL, never reached any account at the brokerage house.
The information casts major doubt over whether Bolt will ever recover what he had been calculating was due to him, given the size of his investment and the time which has passed since his money was put in.
This comes as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, ODPP, continues to await additional documents from the Financial Investigation Division, FID, before deciding whether criminal charges are to be laid on any other individual arising from the fraud at SSL.
The documents are reportedly key to informing the authorities about whether a case can be made out beyond a reasonable doubt against any other individual who was employed to SSL.
Jean Ann Panton is currently before the court facing multiple fraud charges.
Panton had reportedly given a confession statement indicating that she had defrauded multiple accounts over many years.
During an interview after the SSL fraud came to light, Bolt revealed that he had fired a member of his team who had responsibility for monitoring his investment at SSL.
Earlier this week, Bolt told the popular podcast, ‘The Fix’, that he was beyond frustrated with the pace of the investigation into his missing funds.
He says he believes the Government can do more to assist him in getting his money back.
