Marlon “Icon” Samuels Found Guilty Of Four Corruption Charges By ICC
Retired West Indies all-rounder, now Dancehall artist, Marlon “Icon” Samuels, has been found guilty of breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption code, during the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament in 2019.
According to the cricket governing body, the Top Gyallis deejay, who had been accused of four offenses under the Emirates Cricket Boad (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code, was found guilty following a hearing by an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal.
In a release on its website today, the ICC said that Samuels, who was charged by the ICC (in its capacity as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official under the ECB Code) in September 2021, “has been found guilty after he exercised his right to a hearing before the Tribunal”.
“The Tribunal will now consider the submissions of each party before deciding on the appropriate sanction to be imposed. The decision will follow in due course,” the ICC noted.
According to the report, Samuels was found guilty of, by a majority decision, “failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute”.
The Tribunal’s other conclusions of his guilt were made by unanimous decision. They include: Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more; Failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation and Obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation.
In September 2021, Samuels had lashed the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Instagram, days after the cricket governing body accused him of breaching its anti-corruption code, during the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament in 2019.
Samuels had made it a point of his duty to demonstrate to the cricketing world and his fans that he was unperturbed by the misconduct charges laid against him, as he showed off his high-rolling lifestyle and brushed aside the ICC and the Emirates and bragged of his accomplishments, while declaring that he was unstoppable.
Showing off championship images of himself in his Windies cricketing gear, the Kingston College old boy had declared that “there is only one winner in this and that’s me”.
“My old enemy fall into my trap so easy now I got your attention lol. Go speak to who play. I didn’t,” he noted in another, pointing out that he was guilty of nothing, as he did not play any game in the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament.
On another post, he added: “Less than 1000US in your rule books. That can ban me. Lol. Me spend more than that on a no spending day. Go hide. Feel like me a walkover”.
At the time, the Spoon Head deejay had also posted a series of videos and photos on his Instagram stories of himself having dinner at a high-end restaurant, shopping in a Versace store, showing off his Sextillion 7th power fragrances and his yellow Zebu energy drink, and an interaction with a Pakinasti fan, who praised him for his contribution to Jamaican and West Indies cricket.
Samuels, who played international cricket from 2000 to 2018, was charged by the ICC on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for breaching four codes of their Anti-Corruption code for Participants of the T10 League (the ‘Code’) in 2019.
At the time the ICC said the charges were proffered against Samuels for “failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute.
He was also accused of “failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more; failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation and obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation”.
The ICC also said Samuels would be given a time period of 14 days in which to respond to the charges.
During his international career, the now 42-year-old played 71 test matches, 207 One Day Internationals, and 67 T20Is for the Windies. He scored 17 centuries, 11,134 runs and took 152 wickets and top-scored in the T20 World Cup finals in 2012 and 2016.
The Icon is well-known in Dancehall for his protracted social media feuds and tiffs with other artists, including an infamous online beef with Foota Hype in 2018, which began after he claimed that the Dark Knight producer was “carrying feelings” over his appearance in his ex-girlfriend Ishawna’s Insta Boy music video, following which he released Spoon Head, a song which mocked Foota.
Samuels had also laughed at Usain Bolt when the track icon released his Living the Dream single, and reposted a video of a local comedian mocking the song and dismissing it as f_kery.
He had also had verbal spats with Mr Vegas whom he jeered mercilessly after the Heads High singer was bodily thrown out of a church at the request of Pastor Gino Jennings.
He also had conflicts with his ex, Yanique ‘Curvy Diva’ in 2018, an upcoming singer Ikon and Devin di Dakta’s manager Shelly-Ann Curran in 2019 over the artist’s New Flame single, this after Devin mocked him with lyrics saying: “nuh matter how me love di gyal dem, none cyah mad me cuz me nuh Marlon Samuels”, in reference to the rift between the cricketer and Yanique.