After a lengthy investigation, Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has been formally charged by German prosecutors with tax evasion. Lawyers for Hoeness now have a month to respond to the charges before a Munich court will determine whether the case will go to trial.
Bayern Munch president Uli Hoeness charged with tax evasion
German authorities have officially charged the president of Bayern Munich with tax evasion after an extended investigation.
Stuart Franklin
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Hoeness -- a World Cup, European Cup and European championship winner as a player -- reported himself to authorities earlier in the year in connection to issues with an undeclared Swiss bank account. The secret account created quite the hullabaloo in Germany, causing even Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman to release a statement saying the German leader was disappointed in Hoeness.
No details concerning the amount of funds involved have been officially released but there has been a fair amount of speculation in the media. Reports suggest that Hoeness deposited millions of euros in the Swiss account over the past ten years and failed to pay capital gains tax on the money.
Ken Heidenreich, a spokesman on behalf of prosecutors, declined to provide details on Tuesday citing tax secrecy laws.
“We have filed the charges to the Munich state court,” he said. “The defence now has one month to pronounce itself.”
When news about the controversy surfaced in May, Bayern’s supervisory board announced they remained behind Hoeness and said they would leave him in his position with the club despite the on-going investigation. There’s always the possibility that formal charges and possible trial could force them to reevaluate their stance.
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