Cricket Kenya in deeper waters

By FeverPitch Team

Details are emerging on how Cricket Kenya (CK) funds may have been diverted for purposes for which they were not intended.

Exchange of emails in our possession indicates that some funds may have been misused by officials and a possibility of collusion with some workers to cover up.

Cricket Kenya chairman, Samir Inamdar. [PHOTOS: FILE]

Investigations will zero in on impunity and abuse of office by some officials who appeared to promote self-serving interests and those of friends.

In one such mail in our possession, an official is going down on his knees to a colleague with pleas to be given more time to settle some debt for using Cricket Kenya funds.

"Yes, I received the funding from Afro Asia as you stated. At that time, I was befelled by miseries and when we lost our sister-in-law, I had to borrow some funds to clear the hospital bills from a friend.

"Once the Afro Asia funds were available, I used them to offset the borrowed money. It was not easy but I thank God for friends.

"My obligation with the friend who supported me with the funds was taken care of," the official states.

"On the funds to West Indies, this did not come through due to external interference. As you are aware, just before we left, Cass pulled a fast one on what we had agreed and through MK and RD at ICC, the organisers were approached to ask what support they were giving Kenya.

Funds for books

"But before they answered, organisers called me and I explained the situation, that I needed the funds to get some books printed and that’s why we had asked for the support to be given to us directly.

"Tony was very understanding and agreed to help me get the funds eventually but had to work out a plan through his board. He asked for time to sort that out. By the time we left West Indies, we had agreed that he works it out and latest by the time he travels to Kenya with a West Indies under-23 team in February 2009, he will release the finds to me.

"I trust him and believe that he will make good the promise. (We can talk about this when you are ready to hear me out).

"I am sure you are aware that I had made some commitments in the hope that I was to get these funds but in fact I made an order of books from Sashi hoping to pay partly from these funds but I am stuck at the moment. I am trying to talk to Sashi to see if I can get the books and pay as I sell," says the mail.

Commitment to pay

"While all this is as it is, I am ready and willing to make a commitment to release 40-50k every month from this end month until I have cleared all what you said was entitled to you. This will come out of my monthly pay and you can be assured that I will not let you down.

"This will give me a maximum of 10 months to clear with you on this case. If during the period I get some funds, then it will be my obligation to clear with you," pleads the official.

Cricket Kenya chairman, Samir Inamdar, has instituted investigations on the allegations of financial impropriety.

He said investigations will be conducted locally and abroad to authenticate claims that some funds from West Indies may have been paid to an individual, as indicated in one of the mails, although he admitted that they were not reflected in Cricket Kenya books.

The matter of Afro-Asia tournament is also under investigations as it is claimed two invoices from Kenya Airways were used where one included payment of Thomas Odoyo’s ticket from London to India for the tournament.

When completed, those investigations will throw more light on why a CK official should want to settle up to Sh500,000 debt using the association’s funds.

Tom Tikolo, Cricket Kenya Chief Executive Officer, had promised to address the matter, but changed his mind later, saying he wants the investigations to take their full course.

 

Read all about: Samir Inamdar

 

 

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