“Young People Hustling in the City’s Poorer Areas”: Top Jamaican Voice Not Happy With Response to Usain Bolt Scam

Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt is in a precarious situation after losing $12.7 million in a massive scam. On January 16, news outlets began reporting that Bolt had invested around $13 million with Kingston-based investment firm Stocks & Securities Limited. Shortly after the news broke, the athletics legend’s lawyers announced Bolt had $12,000 left in his account at SSL. Shortly after, Stocks and Securities Limited as well as the Jamaican government launched an investigation. However, the inquiry uncovered that many others too have succumbed to a similar state of affairs as that of Bolt’s.

Now, one of Jamaica’s top dancehall artists has raised his voice against the system’s failure to find the investors’ money. On January 22, musician Gage came out with his latest song, SSL. In the song, Gage asks many uncomfortable questions like, “Where’s the money gone?”

Highlighting the social divide between the affluent and the poor

In the song, Gage highlights how the Jamaican city of Kingston is divided in two. An affluent “uptown” and poorer “ghetto” area. The Jamaican musician also highlights how the government’s crackdown on crime has discrepancies.

Gage says while the government has taken serious steps to prevent phone and lottery scams, the individual or group who stole the money belonging to Bolt and over 40 others might have had more resources than the “ghetto youth.” The Daily Tribune reports that these are not “The young people hustling in the city’s poorer areas.”

READ MORE | “Supporting You and Family”: Usain Bolt’s Latest Post Makes Fan Emotional About His $12.7 Million Loss Situation

Jamaican Financial Minster Dr. Nigel Clarke echoed the same sentiment when he told Agence France-Presse (AFP), “The discrepancy between sanctions for white-collar crime and other forms of crime must be erased.” On January 23, the Finance Minister also announced that the Jamaican government had sought the help of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to catch the perpetrators.

Usain Bolt is asking the same question

Since the massive scam, Usain Bolt has posted on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Some of the legendary sprinter’s posts have been cryptic, while others have been blunt. Bolt might have also highlighted the failure of the law and order system with a photo of law books on a bookshelf.

In another post, Bolt uploaded a photo of himself kissing his Olympic medals with the caption, “Earned… Not Given.” This could be another hint that Bolt has earned fame through years of discipline and rigorous training. He also posted another photo on Instagram with the caption, “The real ones see through all the PR distractions #Focus.”

Watch this story | Undisputed GOAT Usain Bolt Reads Jamaican Law Amidst 127 Million Loss.

What do you make of the scam that shook Jamaica? Write your views in the comments.