KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The attorney for the former chief executive officer of the failed investment firm, Stocks & Securities Limited (SSL), Zachary Harding, is calling on all parties “to allow the justice system to function based on facts, rather than unverified assertions and assumptions”.
In a statement issued on his behalf on Monday night, King Counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, said her client on December 27, “voluntarily attended the offices of the Financial Investigations Division (FID)” and that since the issues at SSL first came to light in 2023, “Harding communicated with the police through his attorney, assuring them of his availability and willingness to assist with any investigations”.
Samuels-Brown said that his attendance at the FID last weekend “was in keeping with that position, as he has always acted in compliance with the law and with the highest level of integrity.
The attorney said that despite specific media reports, “Harding was not arrested in any ‘pre-dawn raid” and that the proceedings and question-and-answer session marked the first time in three years that any investigative body has interviewed her client.
Samuels-Brown said that in light of recent developments, both Harding and herself want to clarify several critical points, noting that “based on the questioning and information provided by investigators, there was no allegation that Mr. Harding was the beneficiary of, or involved in any way with any misappropriation of funds or theft of money from Usain Bolt’s account or that of any other SSL clients’ accounts”.
The statement said that official records from the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) will confirm that during his tenure, Harding prioritised legal and regulatory compliance.
“He maintained open communication with regulators, adhered to their directives, and acted under the guidance of reputable legal counsel and independent external auditors. He proactively engaged the FSC, implemented clear corrective plans, and worked under their ongoing oversight to address long-standing issues that existed before Mr. Harding’s involvement with SSL.
“As these matters are now before the court, we will not comment further on any specific evidentiary details and await the dispensation of justice through the courts,” the statement said, adding, “In the interim, we strongly caution against the continuation of spreading misinformation.
“This in no way helps in achieving fair resolution and justice. We urge all parties to allow the justice system to function based on facts, rather than unverified assertions and assumptions,” the statement added.
Harding, along with SSL founding director Hugh Croskery and Croskery’s daughter, Sarah Meany, were charged last Saturday with breaching key financial sector laws, the FID reported.
The SSL fraud saga first came to light in January 2023, and since then, former SSL employee Jean-Ann Panton has been slapped with multiple offences. In December 2023, the FID submitted a case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, signalling the possibility of additional charges. However, officials later noted that outstanding issues had affected the assessment of the file.
Welljen Limited, a company owned by sports legend Usain Bolt, is among more than 200 clients affected by the firm’s collapse, according to law enforcement sources.
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