Team president allegedly tries to swindle sponsor

A St James woman who allegedly tried to defraud the sponsor of a Montego Bay-based football club out of an undetermined sum of money has been ordered to attend mediation with the complainant ahead of her next court appearance on May 8.

Tracey Hackett, 49, of a Granville address, is charged before the St James Parish Court with fraudulent conversion. She got the new court date and had her bail extended when she appeared before presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce on Monday.

According to reports, the complainant is a sponsor of the Granville Football Club, of which Hackett is the president. On several occasions, the complainant made payments to provide transportation for the team to attend matches outside of St James during the 2022-2023 football season.

However, it was eventually disclosed that the club did not play any games outside of the parish during that period, and that Hackett had collected the payments for her own benefit. A report was made, and Hackett was subsequently arrested and charged.

During Hackett's court appearance, attorney-at-law Henry McCurdy, who was watching proceedings on behalf of the absent complainant, told Grant-Pryce that his client was open to mediation with the defendant.

"The complainant will not be here, but my instructions are that he is willing to go to mediation," McCurdy said.

Grant-Pryce subsequently set the matter for mention on May 8.

"We have put that date to facilitate yourself and the complainant attending mediation, and whatever the agreement is must be signed by both of you," Grant-Pryce told Hackett as she extended the defendant's bail to May 8.