Mickyd39
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http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/moodie-queries-integrity-of-probe-20100713-109fc.html
MELBOURNE Storm chairman Rob Moodie has questioned the validity of an audit commissioned by News Ltd that is understood to show the club has breached the salary cap by $3.2 million over the past five years.
The findings of the audit by accountancy firm Deloitte are expected to be released this week but senior Melbourne officials and players say they doubt whether a report that was paid for by News Ltd, owners of the Storm and 50 per cent stakeholders in the NRL, can be truly independent.
Many at the club fear News Ltd is protecting its own agenda, with Moodie telling the Herald yesterday: "It was clear from the outset that the inquiry was set up to serve the best interests of News Ltd rather than the best interests of the Melbourne Storm."
One member of the Storm's backroom staff added: "It seems slightly ridiculous that News have been billing this report as independent. How can it be when they paid for it? Everybody knows News has an agenda given their conflicts of interest. You also have to wonder at how insightful Deloitte's findings can be as most people wouldn't speak to them.''
It is believed Deloitte had sought to speak with about 40 people involved with the Storm but that more than half refused to meet with the auditors. Many of those who declined interviews did so after the accounting firm refused to guarantee confidentiality, with players, in particular, fearing details they revealed would end up in News Ltd newspapers.
While News Ltd received Deloitte's report last week, it has not yet been seen by the independent directors. Their only knowledge of the findings came when News Ltd's chief operating officer, Peter Macourt, phoned Moodie yesterday to outline some of its details and to call on the club's independent directors to resign.
During that conversation, it is understood Macourt admitted not all the evidence from the Deloitte investigation would be made public. According to a source close to the club's independent directors, Macourt told Moodie some of the findings were ''much too difficult'' to be released.
However, Macourt, who oversees all rugby league issues for Rupert Murdoch's media company and is on the NRL partnership committee, is also believed to have told the Storm chairman that auditors had uncovered emails that would reflect poorly on the independent directors.
But a source close to the independent board members, who are taking the NRL to court over the punishment handed down for the salary cap breaches, said they were looking forward to reading the report. "The directors are keen to see what the Deloitte report says and their lawyers will be reading it carefully for anything which is defamatory," one insider said.
The court case in which the independent board members will claim the NRL failed to follow due process when deciding to strip the club of the 2007 and 2009 premierships is due to begin on August 2.
Macourt yesterday told Moodie he was disappointed the independent directors had not taken up News' offer of ''mediation''. But a club insider said: "It's fanciful for Macourt to claim they refused mediation. He basically told them to drop their court action at a meeting in May."
I wonder why no one would talk with the people from Deloitte:roll:
What a load of crap that the people who refused to speak with them were scared information would be leaked. They were scared of getting caught out for lying, cheating and whatever else they were up to.
If they have got nothing to hide they should not be scared.
Moodie is the biggest merkin in the game, besides Slater.
MELBOURNE Storm chairman Rob Moodie has questioned the validity of an audit commissioned by News Ltd that is understood to show the club has breached the salary cap by $3.2 million over the past five years.
The findings of the audit by accountancy firm Deloitte are expected to be released this week but senior Melbourne officials and players say they doubt whether a report that was paid for by News Ltd, owners of the Storm and 50 per cent stakeholders in the NRL, can be truly independent.
Many at the club fear News Ltd is protecting its own agenda, with Moodie telling the Herald yesterday: "It was clear from the outset that the inquiry was set up to serve the best interests of News Ltd rather than the best interests of the Melbourne Storm."
One member of the Storm's backroom staff added: "It seems slightly ridiculous that News have been billing this report as independent. How can it be when they paid for it? Everybody knows News has an agenda given their conflicts of interest. You also have to wonder at how insightful Deloitte's findings can be as most people wouldn't speak to them.''
It is believed Deloitte had sought to speak with about 40 people involved with the Storm but that more than half refused to meet with the auditors. Many of those who declined interviews did so after the accounting firm refused to guarantee confidentiality, with players, in particular, fearing details they revealed would end up in News Ltd newspapers.
While News Ltd received Deloitte's report last week, it has not yet been seen by the independent directors. Their only knowledge of the findings came when News Ltd's chief operating officer, Peter Macourt, phoned Moodie yesterday to outline some of its details and to call on the club's independent directors to resign.
During that conversation, it is understood Macourt admitted not all the evidence from the Deloitte investigation would be made public. According to a source close to the club's independent directors, Macourt told Moodie some of the findings were ''much too difficult'' to be released.
However, Macourt, who oversees all rugby league issues for Rupert Murdoch's media company and is on the NRL partnership committee, is also believed to have told the Storm chairman that auditors had uncovered emails that would reflect poorly on the independent directors.
But a source close to the independent board members, who are taking the NRL to court over the punishment handed down for the salary cap breaches, said they were looking forward to reading the report. "The directors are keen to see what the Deloitte report says and their lawyers will be reading it carefully for anything which is defamatory," one insider said.
The court case in which the independent board members will claim the NRL failed to follow due process when deciding to strip the club of the 2007 and 2009 premierships is due to begin on August 2.
Macourt yesterday told Moodie he was disappointed the independent directors had not taken up News' offer of ''mediation''. But a club insider said: "It's fanciful for Macourt to claim they refused mediation. He basically told them to drop their court action at a meeting in May."
I wonder why no one would talk with the people from Deloitte:roll:
What a load of crap that the people who refused to speak with them were scared information would be leaked. They were scared of getting caught out for lying, cheating and whatever else they were up to.
If they have got nothing to hide they should not be scared.
Moodie is the biggest merkin in the game, besides Slater.
