KJ Interview with Blue Pitch Holdings

[chilledbear 16]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-exclusive-you-wont-drive-6163263

[chilledbear 16]

THE middle eastern frontman acting for mystery Rangers shareholders Blue Pitch Holdings last night warned Dave King his investment group will not be forced out of Ibrox.

 

Record Sport yesterday tracked down Lebanese lawyer Mazen Houssami – the man who helped fund Charles Green’s £5.5m takeover in 2012 – after the club revealed his infamous consortium had been blackballed by King’s regime for refusing to give up the identities of the men behind the money.

 

Rangers insist Blue Pitch, who own a six per cent chunk of the club’s stock, is one of four groups of significant investors who are refusing to co-operate with their investigations into share ownership.

 

Their shares were all but rendered worthless yesterday when the club stated, as a result of their refusal to come clean, the four groups now carry no voting rights, cannot sell up nor buy into future issues and will not receive any cash dividends.

 

The Rangers board took action after repeated attempts to establish the true identities of the money men were ignored.

 

But yesterday Houssami broke cover from his base in Beirut to reveal he has had no contact from the Ibrox hierarchy – and to insist Blue Pitch may attempt to buy an even bigger slice of the club in the future.

 

He said: “I didn’t receive anything from Rangers so I don’t have a position on this. I will not have a position until they have contacted me.

 

“But, yes, of course I want to stay involved and Blue Pitch will be keeping its shares. This is not the time for us to buy more shares. Things must settle down first before anyone puts more money in.”

 

Twelve months ago, in his only previous interview, Houssami told Record Sport he was the sole power behind the shadowy Blue Pitch organisation.

 

He said then: “I am a director, I am the sole owner, the sole holder of the shares. Blue Pitch is me.

 

 

“To describe Blue Pitch as ‘mysterious shareholders’ is rubbish. I am Blue Pitch Holdings. I control it.”

 

Yesterday he changed his tune by admitting he is, in fact, one of a number of different investors behind the Blue Pitch banner.

He declined to reveal the identities of his co-investors but did say bogeymen Green and Rafat Rizvi – a convicted fraudster on Interpol’s most wanted list – are not among the group.

 

He said: “Yes, there could be other people behind Blue Pitch but there is nobody related to Green.

 

“We have always investors coming in but, no, there is no Green or anybody related to the previous owners or managers.”

 

When pressed again if Rizvi is involved Houssami replied simply: “No.”

 

Houssami claims to have been behind the decisions to sack Green as chief executive and also to bullet former commercial manager Imran Ahmad.

 

And he insists he is pleased police are probing what went on in the Ibrox boardroom over the past three years.

 

He said: “I can’t assume there was criminal behaviour but I wasn’t happy with things that took place. We invested in Sevco and then Sevco was changed.

 

“There has been a lack of transparency so we are happy the investigation is taking place.”

 

The four groups who have failed to give details of their shareholders are Blue Pitch, who own 4m shares, ATP Investments (2.6m), Norne Astalt (1.2m) and Putney Holdings (700,000).

 

The Rangers board sought to confirm the identity of the shareholders shortly after taking control in March but have been thwarted in their attempts.

 

A club spokesman said: “These four parties have not responded to initial requests for information or to the latest direction notices.”

[limeburner 0]

We wont be forced out of Ibrox!!

Eh,you just have been matey.

[Frankie 8,825]

Forgive me for not believing a word Mr Houssami says.

 

(or KJ for that matter...)