SA Rugby has suspended player agent Eduard Kelder for three years after he was found guilty of financial mismanagement.
Kelder, who represented the likes of Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Warren Whiteley, Andries Coetzee and Willie le Roux, was called before a disciplinary hearing after it was revealed that he had given his personal bank details to clients and not the account details of his former employer CMS Sport and Entertainment.
According to Rapport newspaper, Smith (R38,916) and Coetzee (R19,000) unknowingly paid their commission fees into Kelder’s account without the agent ever transferring the funds to CMS Sport and Entertainment.
He also personally received a R30,000 fee from a company that had hired Whiteley to appear at a function. He has since repaid Whiteley on 5 September, while CMS deducted Coetzee’s commission fees from his salary. He has also paid back the majority of Smith’s commission money and is expected to make one last payment of R1,066.
After he was fired by CMS Sport and Entertainment, Kelder started working for rival company Esportif, but it is unclear whether he is still employed there after the outcome of the disciplinary hearing.
Photo: @EduardKelder/Twitter
