Redknapp and Mandaric found not guilty
Harry Redknapp
Former Pompey manager Harry Redknapp has been cleared today of taking bungs in an offshore tax dodge.
Milan Mandaric was cleared at Southwark Crown Court today of sending Harry Redknapp a tax-free offshore bung worth £93,100.
Redknapp was also cleared of dodging tax on the deposit in his Monaco account, Rosie 47.
The football manager’s hopes of leading the England team received a major boost as he walked free from court.
Jurors accepted Redknapp’s angry denials that he avoided tax on any payments over £189,000 found in a Monaco account.
His acquittal alongside co-defendant Milan Mandaric blows the final whistle on a five-year £8 million police investigation which failed to yield a single conviction.
Mandaric and former Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie were also cleared of £600,000 tax dodge claims at a previous trial, it can be reported for the first time.
Redknapp and Mandaric hugged as the jury cleared them of all counts.
Mandaric and Redknapp embraced in the dock as the verdicts were read out after five hours of deliberations.
Redknapp immediately left the court, while Mandaric walked up to Detective Inspector Dave Manley to shake his hand and say ‘Thank you’.
Judge Anthony Leonard made no comment other than to discharge the jury.
Redknapp’s son Jamie greeted his father with a hug outside court.
Mandaric’s daughters were also sitting in the public gallery.
Mr Manley - who was shouted at by Redknapp during proceedings - made no comment other than saying: ‘I accept the court’s decision’.
Chris Martin, of HM Revenue and Customs, said in a statement: ‘We have no regrets about pursuing this case because it was vitally important that the facts were put before a jury for their consideration.
‘We accept the verdict of the jury but I would like to remind those who are evading tax by using offshore tax havens that it always makes sense to come forward and talk to us before we come to talk to you.’
Chris Martin from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said outside the court the taxman had ‘no regrets’ about pursuing the case.
The spokesman said: ‘I would like to thank my colleagues in City of London Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs who worked so hard and with great professionalism to get this complex case before a jury.
‘Tax evasion is not a victimless crime, because every penny of tax evaded reduces the UK’s ability to pay down the deficit and support our public services.
‘That is why we relentlessly pursue those we believe are evading tax.
‘We’ve no regrets about pursuing this case because it was vitally important that the facts were put before a jury for their consideration.
‘We accept the verdicts of the jury but I would like to remind those who are evading tax by using offshore tax havens that it always makes sense to come to talk to us before we come to talk to you.’
Redknapp was at times moved to the verge of tears as the Crown alleged that he told a pack of lies in an attempt to get off the hook.
But jurors accepted Redknapp and Mandaric’s evidence that the Monaco account in the name of Redknapp’s dog, Rosie, was nothing to do with footballing matters.
The two-week trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court threatened to derail Redknapp’s progress at the pinnacle of his 30-year managerial career.
Having led Spurs through their most successful period in the Premier League era, the Londoner was tipped as the outstanding favourite to replace Fabio Capello as England manager this summer.
With his name cleared in the courts, nothing would now appear to stand in the way for the Football Association to hire him.
The verdicts mark a disastrous end of an exhaustive inquiry into football corruption by tax authorities and City of London Police.
Police began pursuing Redknapp in 2006 after he admitted having the Monaco account as he was questioned by the Quest inquiry into Premier League bungs.
The transactions took place as the pair squabbled over a transfer bonus Redknapp was due for the £3 million profit the club made on the sale of England striker Peter Crouch.
But the jury accepted Redknapp’s claim that he knew he was ‘morally but not legally’ entitled to the cash.
A recorded telephone conversation between News of the World reporter Rob Beasley and the pair in 2009 was a pivotal element in the Crown’s case.
Redknapp telling Mr Beasley it was money for transfer bonuses was ‘the most compelling and important evidence’, prosecutor John Black QC said.
But defence barrister John Kelsey-Fry QC said the Sunday tabloid’s evidence was ‘primarily despicable’.
‘I do not shrink from suggesting to you it is repugnant to all our basic instincts of fairness in the criminal justice process,’ he said.
The case served up high courtroom drama over two weeks as one of the biggest names in English football appeared in the dock and gave an impassioned display in the witness box.
Redknapp attacked a detective for “staring” and shouted at prosecutor Mr Black: ‘You think I put my hand on the bible and told lies? That’s an insult, Mr Black, that’s an insult.’
Redknapp said he was ‘a fantastic football manager, not a hard-headed businessman’ and had always paid too much taxes.
He also revealed that he had squandered millions in bad investments and had the writing ability of a two-year-old.
Serbian Mandaric, an entrepreneur behind a multibillion-dollar business empire, claimed he had paid £100 million in taxes during his time in football, adding: ‘Did I suddenly go crazy?’
Redknapp, of Poole, Dorset, first flew out to Monaco - a tax haven - in April 2002 to set up the account.
He did not tell investigators about Rosie 47 as tax officials investigated a £300,000 payment he received over Rio Ferdinand’s record-breaking transfer between West Ham United and Leeds.
But he voluntarily gave details of the Monaco account as he was questioned by the Quest inquiry.
David Davies, the former chief executive of the FA, said: ‘I am delighted on a personal level for Harry Redknapp.
‘I happen to know something of the strain that he has been under as anyone would be with these sort of charges hanging around him for as long as they have.
‘The suspicion and the innuendo has hung around.
‘I think yes, he will be relieved but yes he will be delighted.’
Asked if thought Redknapp would be the next England manager, he said: ‘I think that if you had a poll in the country at the moment he would be the overwhelming choice, though there are other strong candidates who are English.’
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Comments
There are 92 comments to this article
Page 1 of 7
bluelagoon
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 09:49 PM91 - Everyone's on the fiddle. So all's well. A lesson for the kids, that is - life is a fiddle. (P.S. - a reason to watch out with the glass houses - the glaziers are on the fiddle too.) Everybody's on the fiddle. They might fiddle you too. I'm sure you won't mind.
The Watcher....
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 08:32 PMThe majority of self employed builders, tax drivers, hairdressers, etc, etc are all on the fiddle and rarely pay anywhere near the tax they should, so why all the screaming and shouting about this guy? Glass houses and stones comes to mind!!
OldPompeyBlue
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:53 PMlew11 - looks like I beat The News to the sensational breaking news! Sums our paper up really, haha!
HarryHoudini
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:41 PMWhat a day for English Football ... H grasp thea hour . Get in their . Come on England .
lew11
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:38 PMoldpompeyblue-if your post is true then good luck to him-the best manager in living history of our great club
On the up
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:35 PMSorry, Capello toast.
On the up
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:34 PMCapello gone
OldPompeyBlue
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:32 PMWhat a day with brealking news that Capello has resigned. There is only one Harry Redknapp.
lew11
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:25 PMwho is mattyc?seems to be 2 of them around these days
philip hayman
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:17 PMNext up England manager and Brasil 2014, I dont think even the brightest pompey fan should hold a grudge as he never negotiated the contracts and wages, and we did win the cup under him,should have been england boss along time ago PUP
lew11
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:15 PMmy guess is the directors of pfc are aiming at administration-legal battles will then ensue involving the courts also .the cic -community investment company,will safeguard our future.it is a recent initiative from the government to protect community interests and since we are the community and fans of portsmouth i trust you are all interested.we are not against the trtust,but we are anxioux to get things done instead of talk.mth the chairperson has forwarded your email.and you will geta personal response shortly.i also expect the chairperson to issue a short statement concerning cic either tonight or tomorrow..
MattyC
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:07 PMHarry is a pompey legend, I will always have the utmost respect for the man. I always knew he was innocent, he is man who is unquestionably honest and has the highest levels of integrity.
Little Al
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 06:59 PM@Snapdog Here is one of your comments, Why do people want every single person to fit into a square box. i will defend your right to freedom of expression, where as you, want to belittle people who have an opinion, which is contrary to yours. If you look at some of my remarks, I have supported the council on some issues. What I take excception to, is when I put remarks up defending Harry Redknapp, saying the jury heard the evidence and they were there on balannce to make a decision, which was not guilty. This paper is then prepared to allow people to make libellous remarks against Harry to stand, but when it comes to people testing and challenging H a n c oc k or G V J, they have an active censoring system in to stop people making comments.
HarryHoudini
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 06:49 PMWellmade up for H & Milan dont give a monkeys for all the knockers on here . Hope he gets the England job .
CapetownRog
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 06:44 PMAgree Seedhouse 68. All above board and legal as far as a contract is concerened, but who agreed the contract in the first place, allowing the manager to buy and sell at will and make himself a nice profit into the bargain, surely not in the best interests of any club? I see PS is now crying, but as Pompey CEO at the time, surely it was his duty in that role to inform SG that his manager was asking for transfer money the owner actually did not have? Not to show any support for this very dodgy trio, but will the fact that HMRC have now made such a monumentable cock-up of the attempted prosecution of PS, HR and MM on the most dubious of charges, mean they will now try to save face by nailing Portsmouth FC on the paltry 1.6m or rather crawl away with their tails between their legs and give the innocent club and fans a break? PUP.
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