Cricket: Johnson money not from OCA - Dykes

Ross Dykes
Ross Dykes
Former Otago coach Vaughn Johnson has not borrowed or taken any money from the Otago Cricket Association, chief executive Ross Dykes says.

Johnson (53) took stress leave earlier this month and is in Wakari Hospital. He resigned on Friday amid allegations over an unpaid debt understood to be about $150,000.

''It was not money borrowed, stolen or taken in any which way from Otago cricket,'' Dykes said.

''It was from other parties but, by implication, Otago cricket was involved.

''Otago cricket was sort of implicated because VJ was borrowing the money for something in cricket.''

Dykes declined to provide further details or speculate what had happened to the borrowed money. However, he was confident there would not be any criminal proceedings.

''I don't know where the money has gone and it was not borrowed [from] Otago cricket, so I'm certainly not at liberty to discuss any lenders or any amounts.

''He resigned because he acknowledged to me that he had borrowed some money - a significant amount of money - and that the allegation was true. At that point he decided that the honourable thing to do was to resign.''

The Otago Daily Times has learned Johnson was previously involved in a failed bat-importing venture.

Asked if it was related, Dykes said that particular debt had been settled when Otago employed Johnson three years ago.

''When we employed him, the debt was consolidated and there was a repayment programme put in place.''

The latest debt is fresh and it is unclear how many people are involved. There has been speculation Johnson borrowed money from the parent of a player, but Dykes quashed that suggestion.

When asked how many people had been affected, Dykes said he could not answer with any certainty.

There has also been speculation Johnson's debts have been exacerbated by a gambling problem. Asked if gambling had affected Johnson's ability to met his financial obligations, Dykes responded: ''I don't know that.''

Otago captain Derek de Boorder said the team was coping ''pretty well, considering''.

''You can try and draw conclusions between [Johnson's resignation] and the results but I think you'd be going down the wrong track,'' de Boorder said.

''Ross has handled the situation really professionally and kept the boys in the loop as much as he can.

''I guess guys have different emotions toward it. But it is something we've had to deal with. We've got the right support network around and I think it has been handled as best as it can be.''

 

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