Gor Mahia officials accused of pocketing Ksh 15 million
Story from goal.com
Betting firm BetKing is contemplating taking action against Kenyan Premier League (KPL) giants Gor Mahia for declining a deal with them despite, allegedly, accepting a KSh15 million downpayment.
The new KPL sponsors were keen on sponsoring K’Ogalo and had reportedly agreed on a KSh30M annual sponsorship deal
Weeks ago, K’Ogalo announced another betting firm Betsafe as their shirt sponsors in a three-year-deal starting in the 2020/21 season. According to the details of the deal, Gor Mahia will get KSh55 million per year from the organization.
“They have a new sponsor but it is going to put them in trouble soon,” a senior source revealed to Goal on Thursday.
“The company [BetKing] were keen on sponsoring the team; it was on a Ksh30 million deal and everything had been agreed, and the downpayment already made. We were shocked by their last-minute change and the unveiling of our competitors.”
Reportedly, the KSh15 million was wired in a different account with a local bank, where only three officials from the club are signatories. It is a move which has raised eyebrows considering the fact that Gor Mahia have an active bank account.
As opposed to BetKing, Betsafe paid Gor Mahia Ksh5 million as downpayment, with another amount set to hit K’Ogalo accounts in a couple of weeks.
When reached for comment, Gor Mahia Secretary-General Ronald Ngala had a different version.
“We signed a deal with our kit manufacturer Umbro who promised to bring an unnamed shirt sponsor,” Ngala told Goal.
“There was no contact, no deal signed or any deal involving BetKing with Gor Mahia. Somethings we are reading are not true since Umbro had not revealed the shirt sponsors they were bringing on board.
“We went on with our search for a new sponsor and Betsafe agreed to come on board. That is when we came to understand Umbro had intentions of bringing on board BetKing who they are partnering with.”
And what about the downpayment?
“We did not receive the purported KSh15 million as reported but half the amount which was from Umbro,” Ngala continued.
“The monies were wired to the Gor Mahia accounts, the alleged account… does not exist… We only have one account, and it belongs to the club, Gor Mahia.”
Ngala says they received Ksh 7.5 million. Betsafe says they gave Ksh 15 million. Somebody somewhere ate money. But players have not been paid for 5 months. Some have been chased from their homes due to lack of rent. Some their wives have left them.
I hope you now understand why I will never join Augmentin as long as Rachier is in charge. He just uses Augmentin to avoid the responsibility of paying players while he is eating money. As for Ngala, he has been at the club for 10 years. He must be a millionaire by now
As much as we blame the office on accountability, the said Betking too are not transparent also cause what made them not to announce the deal in open . Why did keep it secret and it happened sometimes back, there many questions was the deal signed if yes Gor is not personal property so it should have been made clear and open to avoid all this blame game, To this doesn’t involve kogalo is a matter of someone was bribed to ensure betking got the deal but betsafe prevailed
There no need to be involved in this saga.The truth will come out bare on its own.However,the explanation from the club makes some sense.How can Betking tell us that they released kes 15 million without a contract. And send it to a nother account?what kind of company can do that?
Betking have said they have a contract with GMFC for kes.30m per year and have already paid a deposit of kes. 15m.
Ngala admits that they received 7.5 m but from Umbro on behalf of some sponsor. Sounds suspicious unless Betking was negotiating with Umbro and not GMFC. Thank God this guy opted out of GMFC administration for he is not only incompetent but even his explanations have always been ridiculous.
As for the bank account it’s a bonafide club official who gave Betking the bank details. You can’t blame Betking on the this.
The Culprits here are the officials authorized to open bank açcounts i.e.
1) The treasurer
2) The Chairman etc.
But the explanation is actually very simple. The main/official GMFC bank account could have been overdrawn or behind in repaying KRA fines.
So if Betking’s 15m had been deposited there it would have been immediately swallowed up by the negative balance.
We are paying the high price of past incompetence and mismanagement by officials.
VOTE WISELY.