Marumo Gallants have responded to sensational claims that two club officials are being held after the club failed to settle their traveling costs of up to R700 000 in an away trip to Libya.
Team manager Rufus Matsena and physio Dina Dhlomo are reportedly being held against their will in Benghazi with their passports confiscated following claims that Gallants failed to settle their accommodation bill.
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"Rufus and Dina are still in Libya," A source tells KickOff.
"There is a problem, it seems when the club booked the flight tickets to Libya, they hired someone to do all the bookings and stuff for them.
"What happened is immediately after the game that guy demanded his money.
"Apparently they left South Africa for Libya via Turkey, and once they were in Turkey they couldn't carry on with their trip to Libya.
"So that guy from Libya organised the Marumo Gallants team flight tickets. But it seems he overcharged them and now the Gallants chairman doesn't understand how come.
"I hear the guy wants R35 000 per person, they were 23 and the chairman is not happy about that.
"So those people decided to keep Rufus and Dhlomo over there.
"Apparently they told the others to take the players and coaches and leave the two behind, they even took Rufus and Dhlomo's passports.
"They were told they are not going to be released until the chairman pay them their money which is around R701 000.
"The Marumo Gallants chairman says it is too much for one trip."
Contacted by this publication for a comment Gallants' chairman Abram Sello looked to quell any fears and assured that the situation was under control.
"[Laughing] I really don't know what to say because those guys have been paid for their hotel, paid the money for tickets," Sello explains.
"And now the people we've sent there to go and pay...that's where they blocked them not to come back. After they've escalated the figures probably.
"But the main thing is, the guys are supposed to come back, everything is fine with them.
"So, I don't know why they escalated the figures [The Libyans] if they've got any issues they should have told us and said this is the change and whatnot.
"And they can't tell us what is the exact amount when we ask them the figures for the tickets they jika-jika.
"But we are on it, it will be sorted out soon. It's not a train smash and everything is in order."
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