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Parramatta Leagues Club board sacked, administrator appointed

emjaycee

Coach
Messages
12,868
This article is somewhat premature from Prozcenko who has done nothing but quote from an email/letter from Max to PLC members and then cherry picked a number of points from Max's discussion paper that was used as the basis for the information session with members on Wednesday night (which our esteemed member and author of the above article did not attend).

The meeting on Wednesday night was attended by approx 0.1% of the PLC members and it was agreed in the meeting that there would need to be changes to heaps of the proposed amendments before they go to the members for a vote.

Just on some of the issues raised by Prozcenko, the discussions held the other night mean his article is totally inaccurate and out of date. For example:
1. Banning all former Directors before April 2016 would not be the way to go (an alternative is yet to be proposed)
2. DIrectors will be paid an honorarium (amount to be determined)
3. Having Football as a key skill when being a Director of a licenced gaming business worth over $100m is probably not what we really need

Interestingly, one lengthy topic of discussion was electronic and/or postal voting which may not be as simple to get across the line as we all hope/hoped.

But writing an article from an email and not actually doing any further research is typical of our mate Adrian.
 

phantom eel

First Grade
Messages
6,327
A few additional details re Bill Moss, The Permiership Club, Stephen Moss, Anthony Watmough, and Seward's sentencing date (4 July).

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...l/news-story/8bd3280996a4ef28d03f81c9ce7a57a0

Tycoon Bill Moss linked to Parramatta Eels salary cap scandal
Jennifer Sexton, The Daily Telegraph
Subscriber only

PROMINENT businessman Bill Moss has been dragged into the Parramatta Eels salary cap scandal, explosive new documents reveal.

Mr Moss was a director of BlackCitrus, in which he also holds shares via another company, which had an $880,000 contract with the Eels to provide IT services and strategic advice.

And emails reveal the contract was signed by disgraced former Parramatta boss Scott Seward three days after ex-Macquarie banker Mr Moss resigned from the Premiership Club — an organisation he was backing to enhance sponsorship and marketing opportunities between business leaders and the Eels.

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Parramatta Eel Anthony Watmough arriving at training. Picture: Gregg Porteous

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Former Macquarie Group’s head of property Bill Moss, pictured on his Mount Wilson home last year. Picture Renee Nowytarger/The Australian

At the time of the February 2015 agreement, Mr Moss was a director and shareholder — via his company Boston Management services — of BlackCitrus, documents lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission show.

His son Stephen Moss is chief executive and director.

Bill Moss said last night he had financed his son’s business but was never involved in its day-to-day running.

“I wasn’t involved in these deals. I received no financial benefit for any of that. My son runs that business,” Mr Moss said.

The Daily Telegraph last year revealed payments to star player Anthony Watmough from a wholly owned subsidiary of BlackCitrus called Scorecube were hidden from the NRL.

While the company became the subject of the fraud investigation, it is not part of any charges since laid against Seward.

Stephen Moss last night said he had always “sought and received NRL approval prior to executing any agreements with clubs or players”.

“It seems the Parramatta Eels may have misled the NRL on a number of matters,” he said.

On February 17, 2015, nine hours after Bill Moss informed Seward of his resignation from the Premiership Club, Seward emailed Stephen Moss to confirm his commitment to the BlackCitrus deal. The following morning Seward emailed Bill Moss to express his disappointment at the resignation.

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BlackCitrus CEO Stephen Moss, son of prominent businessman Bill Moss. Picture: Britta Campion

The Premiership Club was going to offer business people $40,000 membership packages in exchange for access to elite sporting events with the club’s player group, but the idea never got off the ground. “This football club needs you involved, I need you involved from both a personal and professional level,” Seward wrote to Bill Moss.

Two days later Seward and Stephen Moss signed the BlackCitrus Heads of Agreement, which contained a clause that it not be made public.

Bill Moss resigned as a director of BlackCitrus in March last year.

Seward has pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud and making statements with intent to commit fraud, and will be sentenced on July 4.
 

Bandwagon

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
41,833
Isn't that old news? The scorecube deal was known last year, as was the ownership structure and the relationship between Black Citrus / Scorecube and the Eels. The IT deal was a known, and as far as I can remember the third party deal between Watmong and Scorecube was known, the relationship being what was in queston.

About the only thing that article seems to add is the timing of the deals themselves.
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
148,289
Isn't that old news? The scorecube deal was known last year, as was the ownership structure and the relationship between Black Citrus / Scorecube and the Eels. The IT deal was a known, and as far as I can remember the third party deal between Watmong and Scorecube was known, the relationship being what was in queston.

About the only thing that article seems to add is the timing of the deals themselves.
Still won't stop the drones clicking on the article but.
 

El Diablo

Post Whore
Messages
94,107
http://www.9news.com.au/national/2017/07/04/13/56/scott-seward-parramatta-eels-salary-cap-scandal

Former NRL boss says he was ‘pressured’ into committing fraud during salary cap scandal

By Kelly Fedor
|1:56pm Jul 4, 2017

Former Parramatta Eels boss Scott Seward claims he was pressured into committing fraud during the salary cap scandal.

Seward faced a sentence hearing in Downing Local Court this morning after pleading guilty to dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception to the tune of $221,000.

The 41-year-old arranged and authorised false invoices to pay past and present players between November 2014 and June 2015.

His lawyer John Sutton claims he inherited the debt when he took the job and set about rectifying that in a “secretive” and “shadowy” way.

“He resigned from the club in June 2015 because of the pressures he was put under to resolve these matters…his conscience got the better of him and he had to leave,” Mr Sutton said.

He claimed Seward voluntarily approached NRL boss Todd Greenberg, then the Integrity Unit.

“If he kept his mouth shut, if he hadn’t of brought it to the attention of the authorities it would not have been known.”

The resulting investigation saw the club fined $750,000 and docked 12 competition points, the board was also sacked.

Mr Sutton dismissed claims Seward pocketed any money.

“Let me be clear he made nothing out of this, absolutely nothing.”

But he added “this has cost him everything.”

The Court heard Seward’s mental health has suffered and he is now working casually in the retail sector.

He was supported in court by his parents and sister.

His lawyer has asked the magistrate sentence him to a good behaviour bond without conviction.
 

El Diablo

Post Whore
Messages
94,107
He claimed Seward voluntarily approached NRL boss Todd Greenberg, then the Integrity Unit.

“If he kept his mouth shut, if he hadn’t of brought it to the attention of the authorities it would not have been known.”
don't recall him admitting he was the whistle blower before
 

eels_fan

First Grade
Messages
6,712
A good behaviour bond & no conviction for fraud totalling over $200,000???

Surely there is no chance of that.

He should be locked up ffs
 

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
73,545
He inherited the problem ?

Sharp took over from Spags 12 May 2013

Sharp appointed Seward 21 Sept 2013

So from this we deduce that:-

1. Spags left Sharp a salary cap hand grenade.
2. If Sharp knew about it, he was too stupid not to self report.
3. If Sharp knew about it, how come he has not been charged ?
4. Seward consulted Todd in December 2013.
5. Seward did not resign until June 2015 only after the Foran contract fiasco.

Seward, who is a close friend of Greenberg from their time together at the Bulldogs, admitted in the December, 2013 board meeting to have sought feedback from Greenberg about the way Canterbury handled third-party agreements during his tenure as club chief executive.

http://www.beaudeserttimes.com.au/s...rg-for-advice-on-third-party-agreements/?cs=6
 

El Diablo

Post Whore
Messages
94,107
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...m/news-story/9cf328ab96d00749427e7dc9eee0461a

Former Parramatta Eels boss Scott Seward says he ‘inherited secret payments problem’
SARAH CRAWFORD, The Daily Telegraph
an hour ago

DISGRACED former Eels CEO Scott Seward said secret payments had been promised to players before he took the job and when he went to the Board about the footballers demands for cash he was told, “fix the problem or they would find someone who could,” court documents reveal.

Seward, 41, fronted Downing Centre Local Court Tuesday to face a sentencing hearing for his part in the Parramatta Eels salary cap scandal which cost the club 12 premiership points and a $1 million fine.

The court heard Seward arranged off-the-books payments to past and present players totalling $221,106.50 between November 2014 and June 2015.

But his conscience ended up getting the better of him and he blew the whistle on himself and his club to the NRL CEO Todd Greenberg.

His lawyer John Sutton told the court Seward, “simply could not live with the fact that he’d engaged in this conduct ... It would not have come to light without the full and frank disclosure of the accused,” he told Deputy Chief Magistrate Chris O’Brien.

Police facts reveal when Seward took over as CEO of Parramatta National Rugby League Club in September 2013 staff told him the Eels were under the NRL salary cap.

But soon after commencing his role Seward began to receive “demands from players and managers for outstanding sums of cash” which were not listed in the salary cap or the footballers’ contracts.

Court documents state Seward discovered that players and managers had been promised a total of $589,000 in cash payments.

“The accused attempted to get help from employees of the club and the board of directors ... however, the accused was continuously told to “fix the problem or they would find someone who could,” court papers state.

“The accused had never held the role of a CEO previously and needed to maintain his employment, so he continued to search for options to solve the problem he inherited, to meet the demands for cash payments being made players and their managers,” the court documents read.

Seward, with the assistance of Eels football and logistics team manager, Jason Irvine, got two businesses associated with the club to provide false invoices for services never completed and the payments were then funnelled to players.

Tony Herman owner of landscape management company, Green Options and Leba Zibara of Zibara Clothing both agreed to provide the false invoices to “help out the club,” and believed everyone at the Eels, “knew about the deal,” court documents state.

Mr Sutton told the court Seward gained no financial benefit from the scheme.

“He made nothing. Absolutely nothing. Except his mental health was damaged ... this cost him everything,” Mr Sutton said.

He read out a letter from Seward’s former colleague at the club who wrote, “the happy-go-lucky man I knew became the shell of his former self.”

Seward has since moved to Melbourne with his wife and children and works in retail.

He has pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and has indicated he will plead guilty to another charge of publishing false and misleading material to obtain advantage.

He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail. Mr Sutton told Mr O’Brien Seward would not ask for a conviction not to be recorded.

Police prosecutor Renata Sala noted Seward provided significant assistance to police and said although he should receive a custodial sentence for his crime it did not have to be full-time jail.

Mr O’Brien adjourned the sentencing to next week.
 

El Diablo

Post Whore
Messages
94,107
Police facts reveal when Seward took over as CEO of Parramatta National Rugby League Club in September 2013 staff told him the Eels were under the NRL salary cap.

But soon after commencing his role Seward began to receive “demands from players and managers for outstanding sums of cash” which were not listed in the salary cap or the footballers’ contracts.

Court documents state Seward discovered that players and managers had been promised a total of $589,000 in cash payments.
#bringbackspags
 
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