Top Rank’s Bob Arum Says Daniel Kinahan Is ‘Involved In Nefarious Activities Of The Worst Kind’
Bob Arum, a prominent boxing promoter and founder of leading promotion, Top Rank, has said reputed drugs baron and cartel leader, Daniel Kinahan is involved in “nefarious activities of the worst kind” after the Dubliner was sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury earlier this month.
Arum, who turned 90 years of age back in December, revealed he has cut all ties with Kinahan following the alleged cartel leader’s sanctioning by the United States Department of the Treasury earlier this month during a press conference at Dublin City Hall, however, confirmed that he had paid millions of dollars to Kinahan in consultancy fees for recent fights involving WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, against Otto Wallin, Tom Schwarz, and fights against Deontay Wilder.
Earlier this month, Daniel Kinahan, his father, Christopher Kinahan Sr., and his brother, Christopher Kinahan Jr. were all sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury and the Office of Foreign Assets Control, with a bounty of up to $5,000,000 placed on each of the leading member’s for information which leads to the financial disruption of the cartel, or the arrest and conviction of the leading members.
Daniel Kinahan was previously named as the controller and manager of the Kinahan Organized Crime Group
In 2018, Daniel Kinahan was named in the Irish High Court as the controller and manager of the Kinahan Organized Crime Group (KOCG) – a cartel which has been described as transnational and specializes in the trafficking of drugs and weapons.
Daniel Kinahan, along with former professional boxer, Matthew Macklin, founded boxing and mixed martial arts management firm, MTK Global back in 2012, and have represented numerous prominent fights in both sports, including the aforenoted, Fury, and UFC middleweight contender, Darren Till.
Earlier this month, MTK Global released an official statement confirming that they would be ceasing operations at the end of April, amid “unfair scrutiny” and “criticizm” following the sanctioning of Kinahan, once again denying any links to the reputed cartel leader.
When questioned this week about his working relationship with Kinahan despite reports of his involvement with drug trafficking and gangland violence, Arum claimed Kinahan had told him he was a “reformed” man.
“MTK (Global) – we did work with them,” Bob Arum told FightHype.com. “(Daniel) Kinahan had told us that while years ago he may have done things wrong, he was reformed and his involvement in boxing would demonstrate that he was reformed.”
“We have since learned that that isn’t the case, at least as far as the US charges are concerned, which you take very seriously,” Bob Arum continued. “ He’s continued to engage in nefarious activities of the worst kind, which is drug trafficking. So obviously we’ve had nothing to do with Kinahan and MTK for quite some time and indeed I began to suspect that something was wrong a number of months before the US government announcement. And hadn’t talked to Kinahan for a long time before the US announcement.” (Transcribed by the Sunday World)
