Finance Minister confirms Bolt has account at SSL

Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke today confirmed that retired sprint legend Usain Bolt does have an account at scandal-hit investment firm Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL).

In a statement, Clarke explained that the information was confirmed by the temporary SSL manager appointed by the Financial Services Commission who indicated that the account is in the name of a limited liability company owned by Bolt.

“He has further confirmed to me that this account dates back to 2012,” noted Clarke in a brief statement.

There were shadows surrounding Bolt's missing money after two successive SSL CEOs said they had no knowledge that the retired track star was their client.

In a Sunday Gleaner interview, former CEO at SSL, Zachary Harding, said in his nearly three years at the company, from September 2019 to June 2022, he did not know that the sprint legend was a client, let alone that he had one of the biggest portfolios with the investment company over the past decade.

READ: Bolt's name never came up

Equally oblivious to Bolt being an SSL client was the CEO who preceded Harding, Lamar Harris.

Harris was CEO of SSL between March 2018 and February 2019.

But prior to that, she held other senior posts with the group from June 2012 when she was Manager, Investment Banking.

Thereafter she rose to Vice President, Client Services in 2014 and General Manager/Company Secretary from 2015.

Asked by The Sunday Gleaner if she had any recollection of Bolt or any company he was attached to being mentioned as a client of SSL, Harris said she did not recall.

Some 40 clients were reportedly defrauded of approximately J$3 billion, going back almost 10 years.

The former SSL wealth advisor at the centre of the investigation gave a sworn statement dated January 7, which listed clients from whose accounts she admitted to “borrowing” varying sums without the account holders' consent.

Bolt's name was not on that list.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.