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Redknapp denies illegal transactions

Comment: 0 January 26th, 2012

TOTTENHAM Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp claimed on Wednesday that the News of the World tried to “f*** me on cup final day”, according to reports on the hearing at Southwark Crown Court.

The court also reportedly listened to a conversation that took place a day before Tottenham faced Manchester United in the 2009 Carling Cup final. In that conversation, Redknapp was telling Milan Mandaric, then-chairman of Portsmouth and current head of Sheffield Wednesday, “everything I do, I do above board.” In that discussion, journalist Rob Beasley was listening on another line.

The recording also heard the English manager say, “I spoke to Rob Beasley earlier … you know you paid the income, you paid the tax on that money in America right, of course you did, yeah.”

“Well if the tax is paid in America really the Revenue are saying there is no tax … to pay and if there is they know all about it anyway so I don’t even see what the problem is,” he added.

After talking to Mandaric, Redknapp then turned his attention to Beasley, angrily responding to the journalist’s denial on claims that the Monaco money was made from dealings outside football.

“You’re going to write what you want to write and to f*** me up on cup final day – I know what’s going to happen Rob and you’re all barking up the wrong tree,” he told Beasley.

“If you say the tax hasn’t been declared and it hasn’t been paid, I will sue the bollocks off yeah everybody at the News of the World, make no mistake, yeah.”

Beasley, who appeared as a witness during the trial, claimed the two did not know the conversation was being recorded. The reason he recorded the conversation was to ensure that he would “feel 100 per cent accurate” about the report.

“You need to be careful about who’s around you, I think, because there’s no coincidence to me that somebody suddenly comes out of the woodwork… with some information before the cup final,” he also reminded Redknapp.

After the article came out, the journalist told the court that he heard nothing from Redknapp and Mandaric.

Meanwhile, Redknapp claimed he was “sick and tired” of bung slurs thrown at him and believed his accent was to blame. In a conversation with a friend, the former Portsmouth manager told the jurors that his colleague said “Harry, I can’t believe it’s always you, I have dealt with you enough times. Your problem is your name, Harry, and you have got a Cockney accent.”

He denied any allegations against him and said there was “nothing on me in this world” while voluntarily revealing information about the Monaco account during a Quest Premier League bung inquiry back in 2006.

“I don’t care who looks, your people can look. Nobody will ever find anything on me. I don’t care who looks or how hard because there is nothing on me in this world,” Redknapp told accountant Nigel Layton in the exchange that took place in November 2006.

However, jurors questioned how the manager was able to “simply laugh” about inquiries on the Monaco bung.

Prosecutor John Black QC also cited, in his opening speech, how Redknapp’s story was different from Mandaric’s.

“Those explanations, the court say, are contradictory, inconsistent and lack credibility,” according to Black.

The prosecution stated the difference in Redknapp’s claim that “received express reassurances from Mr Mandaric that the tax had been paid” while Mandaric “assumed that Mr Redknapp would take legal advice and make the necessary action.”

He continued with questioning the credibility of the statements and the actions of the two accused.

The trial was adjourned and will continue on Thursday at Southwark Crown Court where two accountants are scheduled to present further evidences.

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