Listening to Sportstalk - apparently a 55min interview with Duffen is "in the can" having been recorded last week and is in post-production as we speak for airing sometime soon.
According to MW, there are editorial and legal checks to be done, but I did think at the time both "Why now?" and "could this be the source of the rumoured 49% investment?".
One thing I do know is that the Allams seem not to have a problem with him, having been their guest at a number of matches recently. I do trust Pappa Allam to look after his investment, and suspect there is much more to the Duffen/Bartlett saga than has previously been reported. Duffen did in fact resign his position - almost certainly due to a falling out with Bartlett.
Could it possibly be that Duffen carried the can for Bartlett's ineptitude?
Besides, chair of the SMC is hardly any direct power over HCAFC is it?
It will take a hell of an explanation from Duffers for me to have any trust in him once more, but at the same time, there needs to be someone who has a better relationship with HCC running the SMC, and I'm not naive enough to think I know the full story behind the tigers financial crash post 2009. I think Duffen was the figurehead for a guy who's dealings were at best shady and who probably took a risk on getting the tigers promoted then selling them on for a profit. I assume the same benefactor probably lost a lot of money (on paper at least) during the credit crunch and couldn't sustain the required investment - or find any suitable buyer after the recession hit.
I wouldn't mind betting that Duffen just enacted the policy handed down by the money-man, and his hands were tied in all reality. In that scenario, he could well have been led down the garden path along with the rest of us. The asset freeze happened under Pearson who was in the employ of the aforementioned money-man at the time didn't it? I do know that the assets were unfrozen at a court hearing of which nothing of the outcome has been officially reported.
It's a murky, murky situation, but I do think Assem has the nous to act in the interests of his own investment, just like he had the nous to hire respected investigative accountants once the books were opened to him before buying the club - something which resulted in the club being bought for a nominal fee. He'll know more about what went on than any of us.
Therefore I will listen to that interview with an open mind - but there will need to be a lot of convincing answers for there to be any renewed trust, that's for sure.