German football officials charged with tax evasion
Prosecutors in Germany have charged three former German Football Association (DFB) officials and a former FIFA official with serious tax evasion. The charges date back to 2006, the year in which Germany hosted the FIFA World Cup. The prosecutor's office has filed a request to involve the German Football Association in the criminal proceedings, which could lead to hefty fines.
FIFA World Cup tax evasion explained
The officials have not been named but it was revealed that they were aged between 67 and 76 years. The three officials filed incorrect tax returns for 2006. This helped the German Football Association to avoid taxes close to €13.7 million. The German Football Association and the FIFA are yet to comment about the charges.
German Football Association in trouble with the law yet again
This is not the first time that the German Football Association has fallen into trouble with the authorities. Last October, they were ordered to pay €19.2 million in back taxes related to the payment for the 2006 World Cup.
Was money paid to win the hosting rights?
One of the tax returns included a €6.7 million payment from DFB to FIFA for a World Cup event. This particular transaction has triggered several questions. It is alleged that the money was used to bribe members of FIFA's Executive Committee to win the rights to host the the 2006 World Cup. DFB claim it was the return of a loan from FIFA.
