Tottenham Hotspur manager, Harry Redknapp, is to stand trial in January of next year, for alleged tax evasion.
He is accused of two counts of cheating the public purse between 2002 and 2007, amounting to a loss of tax of £180,000. This occurred during the time he was manager of Portsmouth F.C.
Appearing in the dock alongside Redknapp will be former Portsmouth chairman, Milan Mandaric. Both men have denied the charges. The trial is expected to last two weeks and starts at London's Southwark Crown Court on 23rd January.
The Crown alleges that between 1st April 2002 and 28th November 2007, Mandaric deposited £90,000 into a Monaco bank account held by Redknapp, with a view to avoiding paying income tax and NIC. A second charge relates to a payment of £93,000 allegedly made between 1st May 2004 and 28th November 2007. The full indictment against the pair reads:
Count one: Milan Mandaric and Henry James Redknapp, between the 1st day of April 2002 and the 28th day of November 2007, at the material times respectively the Chairman and the Football Manager of Portsmouth City Football Club Ltd, with intent to defraud and to the prejudice of HMRC, arranged for $145,000, paid by Milan Mandaric as a result of or in connection with Henry James Redknapp's employment and as a reward for services, to be transferred to a Monaco bank account opened by Henry James Redknapp for that purpose, in order to conceal the said emolument from HMRC and evade the payment of Income Tax and NIC thereon (whether by the operation of PAYE by the club or otherwise).
Count two: Milan Mandaric, between the 1st day of May 2004 and the 28th day of November 2007, at the material times the Chairman and the Football Manager of Portsmouth City Football Club Ltd, with intent to defraud and to the prejudice of HMRC, arranged for $150,000, paid by Milan Mandaric as a result of or in connection with Henry James Redknapp's employment and as a reward for services, to be transferred to a Monaco bank account opened by Henry James Redknapp for that purpose, in order to conceal the said employment income from HMRC and evade the payment of Income Tax and NIC thereon (whether by the operation of PAYE by the club or otherwise).
If Harry has any future aspirations to manage England then nothing more than total exoneration will satisfy the F. A. When he was arrested earlier this year, the Spurs boss declared that he was “confident of a successful outcome to these proceedings”. He can, however, expect a rough ride as HMRC are always keen to make examples of high profile individuals, such as sports people or entertainers, who are found guilty of tax evasion, by seeking a custodial sentence to act as a deterrent to others.
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