Olympic champion Usain Bolt has been making all efforts to retrieve more than $12.7 million that vanished from his account jointly with a Jamaican investment firm and is considering taking the case to court if necessary, his attorney said.
According to attorney Linton Gordon, Bolt was informed last week that his account balance at Kingston-based Stocks and Securities Ltd (SSL) had mysteriously dropped to just $12,000.
Gordon said, “We will be going to court with the matter if the company does not return the funds.”
“It is a grave disappointment, and we are hoping that the matter will be resolved in a way that Mr. Bolt will recover his money and be able to live in peace,” he added.
In an earlier statement on January 12, SSL said that it came to know about devious acts by an ex employee and has discussed the case with the law enforcement, also saying that it had taken actions to safeguard assets and strengthen protocols.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force confirmed on Monday that its fraud and financial investigation teams were examining “alleged fraudulent activities at (SSL) which are said to have affected the accounts of Mr. Usain Bolt among other individuals.”
Finance Minister Nigel Clarke emphasized on Tuesday night that SSL had purportedly executed “alarming and evil fraud” and warned that authorities would “bring all perpetrators to justice.”
Gordon revealed that the account of the eight-time Olympic gold medalist sprinter was saved to secure pension for him and his parents.
Bolt retired in 2017 after being at the top of the sprinting game for a decade, bringing back a sport marred by doping scandals and becoming well-known like Muhammad Ali and Brazilian soccer icon Pele.
