In a strongly worded statement shared by Usain Bolt on X (formerly Twitter,) his attorney, Linton P. Gordon, has condemned what he describes as an “organized effort” to shift blame onto the sprint legend in the ongoing Stocks & Securities Limited (SSL) fraud scandal.
Gordon made it clear that allegations questioning whether all of Bolt’s funds were received by SSL are “false, baseless, and entirely without credibility.” He emphasized that all deposits from Bolt’s company, Welljen Ltd., were made through bank transactions, with written acknowledgments from SSL confirming receipt.
Furthermore, Gordon cited findings from Ken Tomlinson, the government-appointed temporary manager of SSL, who verified in the Supreme Court that the records show Bolt’s funds were lodged as claimed. “Any suggestion that funds from Mr. Bolt’s company… did not reach SSL is inaccurate and without merit,” the attorney stated.
In 2023, Bolt had given SSL ten days to return his money , after news broke that up to the 31st of October 2022, Bolt had received a statement showing that he had US$12, 758,181.74 in his account but that sum was quickly depleted to US$12,047.65 without his knowledge.
Government’s Role in SSL’s Operations
Gordon also pushed back against claims that Bolt was negligent in his investments, reminding the public that SSL was a government-approved and regulated institution. “The Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Government of Jamaica, and hundreds of Jamaican citizens invested in SSL,” he pointed out. “To suggest that Mr. Bolt was careless or lacked proper financial management is to imply the same about every Jamaican who has invested in a government-approved financial institution.”
He further underscored the responsibility of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), which issued SSL an annual license to operate as a financial institution. “Every citizen has the right to rely on the government entity that is responsible for assessing and regulating such institutions,” he asserted.
Victim-Blaming and Media Manipulation
Perhaps most strikingly, Gordon accused certain parties of attempting to absolve the government of its failure to protect investors. “There now appears to be an organized effort to shift blame onto The Honorable Usain Bolt for his loss—when he is guilty of nothing more than investing in the country that he loves,” he wrote. “This is a textbook case of victim-blaming.”
He expressed concerns that elements of the investigation are being selectively leaked to the media while Bolt and his legal team remain uninformed. “Based on reports circulating in the media, it appears that parts of the investigation are being shared with a certain media house… information that is confidential and entitled to protection under the law,” Gordon noted.
Gordon concluded by stating that Bolt’s legal team is actively reviewing the situation and will advise him on the legal actions available to him. With millions of dollars still unaccounted for, the case remains one of the biggest financial fraud scandals in Jamaica’s history.
