Cricket
Majola: Bacher is a liar
2011-12-11 13:30
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Cape Town - Under-fire Cricket South Africa (CSA) CEO
Gerald Majola has launched a scathing attack on the country's former cricket boss,
Ali Bacher.
Majola last week admitted in front of a commission of inquiry into CSA's finances that he failed to disclose a R1.8 million bonus he received after South Africa's hosting of the 2009 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Majola told the
Rapport newspaper that Bacher is a liar who also received millions of rands in bonuses. He also claims that Bacher is still being "supported" by CSA.
And Majola said he will resign out of his current post if CSA demands it and only if there's are also questions asked about Bacher's millions.
According to CSA's financial year-end report for 2003, the Cricket World Cup in South Africa that year made a profit of R22 675 159. Bacher was in charge of running the tournament and earned R5 million of the R 9 651 459 bonus money which was paid out to the 15 directors, of which Majola and
Mtutuzeli Nyoka, CSA's recently dismissed president, were part of.
Bacher said in a radio interview last week the bonus was part of his retirement package as his own one was "very poor".
However, Majola disagrees. "Bacher lies. His pension money was paid out to him separately by the same company who does it on behalf of all CSA employees.
"Bacher has always portrayed the image of a benefactor, but he is everything but that.
"He also organised his medical costs to be paid by CSA until the day he dies."
Bacher was reluctant to respond to Majola's claims of him being a "liar".
"It's disapointing, but I have nothing to hide and I don't want to become embroiled in a war of words."
But Bacher strongly denied the claims of unruly bonuses paid out to him.
"R5 million was paid to me after the World Cup tournament in 2003, but a big part of that was my pension money."
Bacher said the money, of which he paid R 2 million to tax, was never a secret.
"It was frontpage news in September 2003 in the Sunday Times and I also discussed it in detail in my autobiography."
Bacher said there was no retirement fund when he started working as a cricket administrator in 1981.
"For that reason the council of directors (of the Word Cup) unanimously decided to correct it.
"Majola himself was present at that meeting and several others will concur.
"If it didn't happen, I would have had to keep on working for the rest of my life just to survive," said Bacher.
Bacher also denied Majola's claims that CSA pays his medical expenses.
"Anyone is welcome to look at my bank statements. I pay R 6 000 every month for my whole medical aid contribution."