Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has denied allegations the club issued a fake cheque to John Mark Makwatta in an attempt to sign the striker.
Rachier claims it is Makwatta who requested to join Gor Mahia after he visited the club's office on Monday and the reports claiming the former Ulinzi Stars striker was given a fake cheque are far from the truth.
“Makwatta came with his agent to see me at about four o'clock [on Monday] with a release letter from his former club," Rachier told Goal .
“He claimed Wazito FC and AFC Leopards wanted him and insisted his wish was to join Gor Mahia but I told him I did not have money [the sign-on fee] and so what I could only have done is to give him the cheque.
“I also told him there was no other signatory available then to counter-sign the cheque and therefore, requested him to come in the morning [Tuesday] for the slip to be signed by the other signatories and the treasurer.”
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Rachier added it was the last time he saw him after Makwatta promised to show up later.
“He walked away saying he was going down to his car and would come back to finalise the transfer-agreement signing process,” he explained.
“But at 7:30 pm we saw he had already signed for AFC Leopards and then in the morning I saw the cheque circulating on social media. I did not know he had taken the photocopy of the same.”
Rachier further revealed Makwatta has personally apologised to him over the allegations of issuance of a fake cheque.
“He called me to apologize on Tuesday morning saying he shared the cheque's photocopy with his brother-in-law as he consulted on whether to sign for Gor Mahia,” the chairman revealed.
“I have his apology but the whole thing is hurting to me as the chairman of Gor Mahia particularly when people believe a fake cheque was issued.
“He never presented the cheque to any bank and saw it bounce so how could it have been a fake one when he did not take it in the first place?”
Eventually, Makwatta signed for Gor Mahia's archrivals AFC Leopards.
