https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ha...-during-eels-cap-scandal-20180501-p4zcpu.html
Hayne paid out of personal bank account during Eels cap scandal
Stunning new details have emerged of Jason Irvine’s role as the bagman in Parramatta’s salary cap scandal, with the former footy manager paying Jarryd Hayne nearly $40,000 from his personal account.
However, Hayne wasn’t the biggest beneficiary - former forward Lee Mossop received almost $50,000 in payments.
The fallout from the scandal continues, with Irvine facing a series of charges including dishonestly obtaining property and financial advantage by deception. The matter was in the Sydney Downing Centre Local Court last week and is scheduled to continue again in June.
A series of transactions, including those to and from Irvine’s personal First Options Credit Union bank account, were tendered to the court as part of the agreed facts. They show that the Parramatta Leagues Club paid landscape contractor Green Options about $95,000 for work that was never completed. Green Options managing director Tony Herman told the court he transferred money to a bank account he assumed belonged to the club, but it was in fact the personal account of Irvine.
The bank statements show that Irvine paid out almost the exact amount to two Eels players, Hayne and Mossop, in a series of transactions from January 27 to March 16 of 2015.
The money paid to Hayne was to an account named ‘Abdullah’ - in three instalments of $10,000 and then further payments of $5000 and $4000.
However, the big winner was Mossop. Although the former England international turned out to be a giant flop - he played just three games for Parramatta in an injury-ravaged 2015 stint before returning to the Super League - Irvine paid ‘Mossop Management’ amounts of $15,000, $9600, $14,600 and $9600.
Irvine even returned a payment of $5000 back to Green Options, ensuring the ledger between what he and the players were paid was almost square.
Former Eels CEO Scott Seward avoided a conviction and jail time for his role in the affair, although it remains to be seen if Irvine is as fortunate. While the details of the salary cap scandal were laid bare two years ago, there is still no movement on the player agents involved. One of managers was involved in the last two salary cap scandals but continues to go about his business, making a mockery of the NRL’s inaction.
In a separate court action, former Parramatta chairman Roy Spagnolo is taking the leagues club to the Supreme Court over the cancellation of his membership.
