Tax evasion trial 'insults' Redknapp's ex-boss
The football chairman accused of making payments into the Monaco bank account of Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp told a court on Tuesday he felt insulted by allegations he was a tax cheat.
Milan Mandaric, chairman of Portsmouth Football Club when Redknapp was manager of the side at the time of the alleged offences, told Southwark Crown Court in London he was saddened to have to answer questions relating to tax evasion.
"It is a very sad situation that I have to answer that because in business, running public companies with thousands of shareholders, being a major investor in US banks where you have to go through rigorous, fit-and-proper person test, being part of investment funds over there, I started in a hard way and made enough money to support my love of football.
"Never, ever in my mind was coming the idea that I could get rich evading money. I did not even know what the word meant. I did not cheat anyone."
Mandaric, 73, now in charge of Sheffield Wednesday in English football's third tier, and Redknapp, 64, both deny charges of cheating the public revenue.
The charges centre on $295 000 (£189 000, €225 000) of alleged 'bungs'.
Mandaric said he was worth more than £100 million at the time and paid £55 million in taxes over six years, adding that "not in a million years" would he have paid £189 000 into the account to avoid taxes.
When asked if he thought it "unusual" that Redknapp had named the account after his dog, Rosie, Mandaric replied he had met the pet several times.
"I do not see anything unusual," he added.