Middlesex CCC has confirmed that it has recovered £100,000 that was incorrectly paid to the membership’s former CEO Richard Goatley previous to his resignation in 2021, however has supplied no remark to the information that Goatley won’t be going through prison prices after the Metropolitan police deemed there was inadequate proof of wrongdoing.
The dispute between the membership and Goatley has been an unsightly and protracted one, and reached a head in Might 2024 when Middlesex reported him to the police, alleging that about £70,000 in unauthorised bills had been paid into his private checking account.
In return, Goatley went to the excessive courtroom to lodge a private damage declare, accusing Middlesex of pursuing a harassment marketing campaign towards him. In April 2021, he had suffered a stroke throughout a committee assembly at Lord’s, and was subsequently compelled to resign because of sick well being. The membership denies any wrongdoing.
Middlesex went on to document a lack of £952,000 in 2021, with their internet belongings shrinking from approx £2 million to £179,000 – thanks partially to the membership’s pensions contributions being wrongly paid for 12 months, which triggered an extra £350,000 deficit of their books. In 2023, the membership was positioned into “particular measures” by the ECB, having been fined £50,000 for monetary irregularities and handed a suspended factors deduction.
In an announcement, a Met police spokesperson acknowledged that Middlesex had made allegations of fraud towards Goatley, including that the “nature of the alleged offences had been complicated and required cautious “consideration”.
“After an intensive and detailed evaluation, officers selected Wednesday 29 January that no prison offences might be recognized,” the spokesperson continued. “The case can be reopened ought to additional investigative alternatives turn into obtainable.”
In an announcement, Goatley mentioned he had at all times maintained his innocence, including that the police’s discovering had been “welcome” and got here as “no shock”. He confirmed that he can be persevering with his civil declare towards Middlesex.
Responding to the developments, Middlesex mentioned it was happy to verify the restoration of the lacking funds after a “prolonged and difficult course of”, including that they comprised £57,000 of unauthorised cheques paid into Goatley’s checking account and an extra £43,000 of ineligible funds made into his pension fund.
“We’re grateful to the financial institution and insurance coverage firm concerned in making certain that these funds had been refunded to the membership,” the assertion continued. “We’ve no remark to make on the choice that the Metropolitan Police have reached and their reasoning for doing so.”
