Footballer Samuel Eto'o accused of tax evasion in Spain, risks jail term
The former Barca and Inter Milan player,
now with Russian Premier
League club Anzhi Makhachkala, is accused of four tax offences, each
punishable with up to five years in prison and a fine of as much as 21 million
euros.
The case presented by the prosecutor on
June 15 at a Barcelona court, and which was seen by Reuters on Thursday, asks a
judge to open proceedings against the player before the statute of limitations
on one of the alleged offences expires on Saturday.
Spain recently launched a drive against
tax evasion as it struggles to meet tough European deficit reduction targets
that have meant budget cuts for hospitals and schools.
Eto'o allegedly created two companies,
one in Hungary and another in Spain, and used them to channel income obtained
from ceding his image rights to Barca and sportswear maker Puma, the prosecutor
said.
The Hungarian company paid one of the
lowest corporate tax rates in Europe - 10 percent to 19 percent - while the
Spanish company
paid a reduced corporate tax rate of 30 percent to 35 percent, instead of the 45
percent income tax
rate, the charge said.
Eto'o also allegedly used the Spanish
company to deduct personal expenses, such as payments for his mortgages,
furniture and expenses related to his luxury cars, the complaint added.
Eto'o and his club could not immediately
be reached for comment. The prosecutor also accused Eto'o's former agent, Jose
Maria Mesalles, and the manager of the Spanish company, Manuel de Jesus Lastre,
of the same tax offences.
Eto'o filed a lawsuit against Mesalles at
a Barcelona court last year, accusing him of betraying his trust and of
embezzling money, local media said.
Eto'o and his club are yet to respond to
the allegations.
