Yorkshire and their chair Lord Patel are reportedly facing fines after allegedly failing to disclose potential conflicts of interest.
According to the Daily Mail, Patel did not tell the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) about his role as a director with UK Inertia Business & Consulting Limited. Inertia have 'significant control' over Clean Swwipe Entertainment PLC, which the report states is part of the Clean Slate group who agreed a two-year deal to become Yorkshire's principal partner in April.
The Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act states that a director's 'close links' have to be regularly submitted to the FCA and the Mail claim both Yorkshire and Patel have breached the act, meaning the FCA could fine them.
A spokesperson for the FCA said they do not comment on individual cases. The owner and founder of Clean Slate is Karnesh Ssharma, who is also a director at Inertia alongside Patel and listed as having over 75% of the company's shares and voting rights.
Patel is also listed on Companies House as having briefly been a director at Clean Swwipe in August this year, having been appointed Yorkshire chair in November 2021. A Yorkshire spokesperson said: "All of Lord Patel’s business interests are available on the House of Lords register of interests for the general public to see."
The Mail also state there is 'no mention of Inertia in Yorkshire’s submission to the FCA' or 'his ownership of KYA Global Limited'. There is no suggestion of any criminal activity.
Patel has made widespread changes at Yorkshire since taking charge, but says there remains a minority at the club who "believe nothing was wrong" even after a report found that Azeem Rafiq was the subject of "racial harassment and bullying" during his time at Headingley.
Speaking to the BBC in May, Patel said: "There is a very small minority who believe nothing was wrong here and wish to return to those days. That is my fear, that those people continue to believe that.
"I have met thousands of people here who are genuine, good people who want to do the right thing. You have to believe the majority of people here want to do the right thing and go in the right direction."
