Jamaicans Unimpressed With Usain Bolt Statue In Trelawny: “Give The Man Back His Money!”
The news that preparation work for the erection of Clockwork producer Usain Bolt’s statue in Falmouth, Trelawny, is now underway, has irritated some Jamaicans.
According to them, the emphasis ought to be placed instead, on having Bolt’s US$12 million which was reportedly embezzled by operatives within brokerage firm Stocks and Securities (SSL), returned.
On Thursday news reports surfaced that the base for the statue was being constructed by Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldiers in Bolt’s native Trelawny, three years after the announcement of its erection by was made by Sports Minister Olivia Grange.
However, instead of glee, commenters were up in arms, rubbishing the statue and demanding that the sprinter, who was fleeced of the close to J$2 billion which he had invested at Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL), be reimbursed immediately.
“A the man money unu fi gi him back. The man cyah spend statue?” brick_skull rebuked, while rollington_010 similarly added: “Give the man back his money…….sculpture can’t pay bills”.
Others said that Bolt should pay no attention to the statue, which they described as a poor attempt at appeasement, but instead remain steadfast in calling for the return of his money.
“Bolt don’t let them distract you… continue to demand your money,” one woman said, while queen_cinnero added: “Unuh a try friend up the man yah now.”
“Give the man him money and stop uno foolishness,” another man ordered while thesheetbar added: “The man did tell uno say him want nuh sculpture????????????!!!!! A him money him want!!!!!”
In January news broke that US$12 million had been embezzled from Bolt, by operatives at Stocks and Securities.
Police reports were that the brokerage company reported the $3-billion fraud, which was committed against 40 people including Bolt, to the Financial Services Commission on January 10, this after taking a statement from an implicated ex-employee on January 7.
The details were that as at October 31, 2022, the total amount in the Bolt’s account at SSL, had stood at US$ 12,758,181.74. However, that amount was reduced to a mere US$12,047.65.
Back then, Minister of Finance Dr. Nigel Clarke had also said that based on preliminary updates, some elderly investors had also been defrauded, among them an 87-year-old widow as well as a childhood friend of the alleged perpetrator.
Usain Bolt’s legal team Frater, Ennis & Gordon, in an official letter to SSL, had given the institution an ultimatum to repay the monies to the track legend by Friday January 27, 2023. Failing this, the firm had said it would proceed to “take all legal actions” against the company and its directors, including civil and criminal procedures.
Since the news broke that Bolt had been fleeced of his money, his Dancehall compatriots have given their thoughts on the matter, some even calling for government intervention.
His colleague 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 A-Team producer and assure Jamaicans that it was safe for them to invest in their home country.
For his part, Downsound producer Skatta Burrell, had stated that he was ashamed about the sordid affair and 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.
The Coolie Dance producer 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”.