HARRY REDKNAPP "condemned himself from his own mouth" when he described to a News of the Worldjournalist the $145,000 (€110,300) paid into his Monaco bank account as "a bonus", the jury in Redknapp's trial for tax evasion was told yesterday.
Making his closing speech, the barrister for the prosecution, John Black QC, said the recording made by the journalist, Rob Beasley, of his conversation with Redknapp was “the most compelling and important evidence in the case”.
Redknapp and the former Portsmouth owner Milan Mandaric, who both deny two counts of cheating the public revenue, have told the court that the $145,000 paid in May 2002 and a further payment of $150,000 (€114,000) in May 2004, were paid by Mandaric as “seed money” for investments to be made on Redknapp’s behalf.
When called by Beasley to explain the account in February 2009, Redknapp had said the $145,000 was a bonus for having sold Peter Crouch at a profit in March 2002.
Mandaric has said the further $150,000 was paid in to the Monaco account after $100,000 invested had been “a disaster”, to replenish the seed money and provide Redknapp, then the manager of Portsmouth, with “a nominal profit” of €60,000.
The prosecution charge is that both payments were bonuses paid to Redknapp as part of his employment and therefore tax and national insurance should have been paid, and were not.
“In one unguarded moment on a tape with a journalist, Mr Redknapp told it as it was,” Black told the jury at Southwark crown court, “and that condemns him from his own mouth.”
Redknapp had told the court that he lied to Beasley because his main concern was to emphasise that the $145,000 payment was not a bung and that he did not have to tell the truth to the News of the World. He has said he never knew that Mandaric had later paid in a further $150,000.
Telling the jury that Redknapp is guilty of cheating the public revenue, Black said: “It may not be popular to say that of a man respected in his business, a fantastic football manager, a man of very many qualities. But the fact remains this money was paid into an account in Monaco and no tax was paid on it.”
The trial continues on Monday.
