Christopher Martin Tells Usain Bolt That Jah Will Restore Lost US$12 Million
Usain Bolt’s close friend, Reggae/Dancehall singer Christopher Martin, has proclaimed to the track icon that the Almighty will ensure that the US$12 million that has been embezzled from him, by operatives within brokerage firm Stocks and Securities, is returned.
On Saturday morning, Bolt, took to Instagram, in another of his lamentations where he shared a photo of himself from a GQ Magazine photoshoot, kissing one of three Olympic gold medals hanging around his neck, with the caption: “Earned. Not given”.
In response, Martin wrote: “Jah nah sleep and he never blinks an eye…all will be restored 🙏🏽”.
Since the news broke that Bolt had reportedly been fleeced of approximately US$12 million (J$1.8 billion), which he had invested at Stocks and Securities, numerous members of the Dancehall industry had given their thoughts on the matter, with Cham even calling for government intervention.
On Monday, Cham, in an Instagram video recording, had declared that Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Minister of Finance Dr. Nigel Clarke, ought to release a statement regarding the scam against the Clockwork producer.
The Ghetto Story artist had also said that both politicians ought to assure Jamaicans that it was safe for Jamaicans to invest in their home country.
In addition, Dancehall producer Skatta Burrell had called for Jamaicans to desist from glorifying scamming and the theft of other people’s property, especially in light of Bolt falling victim to embezzlers.
Skatta, who also shared Cham’s video post calling for the return of Bolt’s funds and intervention from Holness and Clarke, had revealed how ashamed he was about the sordid affair.
The Downsound executive had said that some Jamaicans had been celebrating the “choppa lifestyle of late” and as such he was wondering how they felt since “one of our greatest Patriots who’ve done the impossible via hard work, commitment and dedication to make this entire Nation proud is now a victim to this kinda theft”.
He had also called for a resetting of the minds and for his compatriots to “understand that taking People’s hard earn income is nothing to be exalted nor celebrated”.
“I nuh tek the money and I feel ashamed to know,” the Coolie Dance producer had said.
However, Devin di Dakta, was dismissive of Cham’s call for government intervention on behalf of Bolt , describing it as “selective empathy”.
Declaring that the sprint kingpin should not be given preferential treatment over other investors whose monies were embezzled at Stocks and Securities Limited Devin pointed out that all persons who had been fleeced, were equally important, irrespective of their wealth and status and ought not to be left out of any lobbying efforts.
Reports are that SSL reported the $3-billion fraud, which was committed against 40 people including Bolt, to the Financial Services Commission on January 10, after taking a statement from an implicated ex-employee on January 7.
Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke has said that based on preliminary updates, some elderly investors have also been defrauded, among them an 87-year-old widow as well as a childhood friend of the alleged perpetrator.
Reports are that as of October 31, 2022, the total amount in the Bolt’s account at SSL, stood at US$ 12,758,181.74. However, that amount was reduced to a mere US$12,047.65.
Like Skatta, singjay Ce’Cile had also decried the promotion of scamming in Jamaica, on Tuesday.
“I hope .. people that have benefitted from scamming.. and promote scamming and say nothing wrong with choppa lifestyle ..now understand what it is like..To be fleeced out of your hard-earned money. We MUST DO BETTER,” she had tweeted, later adding; “Uptown and downtown choppa is the same choppa. You shouldn’t be allowed to steal people’s hard earned money”.
In the meantime, Usain Bolt’s legal team Frater, Ennis & Gordon, in an official letter to the manager at SSL, gave the institution an ultimatum to repay the monies by Friday January 27, 2023, failing which the firm will proceed to “take all legal actions” against the company and its directors, including civil and criminal procedures.