German Football Association offices searched in tax fraud investigation

Frankfurt prosecutors said on Wednesday that the headquarters of the German Football Association (DFB) — the world’s biggest sports federation — and the homes of DFB officials have been searched on suspicion of tax evasion, Frankfurt prosecutors said.

The searches were conducted in five states across Germany: Hesse, Bavaria, North-Rhine Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Rhineland-Palatinate.

Around 200 officers took part in the searches, including tax officers and federal police.

Investigations are largely directed against six former or current executives of the DFB. They are accused of having deliberately falsely declaring advertising income in 2014 and 2015 on national team home games. The accusations are to do with perimeter advertising at sports stadia.

The amount of tax evaded may exceed €4.7 million ($5.52 million).

‘Major tax advantage’

“Based on the investigation until now there is the suspicion  that those accused knew of the tax incorrectness but consciously did it to give DFB a major tax advantage,” the DFB said in a statement.

The six people have not been named.

This is the latest in a series of legal cases with which the world’s biggest football association has been entangled in recent years. One high-profile investigation queried the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany and the way some money was spent in the run-up to the tournament.

The DFB recently “amicably” ended its cooperation with its marketing agency Infront after almost 40 years after reports emerged of possible financial irregularities.

ed/sms (dpa, Reuters)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/german-football-association-offices-searched-in-tax-fraud-investigation/a-55182705?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom