Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp and co-defendant Milan Mandaric have been cleared of all charges brought aggainst them by HM Revenue and Customs. The two have both denied two counts of cheating the public revenue system when Redknapp was manager of Portsmouth Football Club and Mandaric chairman. They both welcomed the end of the "nightmare" they have suffered for the past five years.After five hours of deliberations in court and a Not guilty verdict Redknapp spoke outside Southwark Crown Court. He thanked his Spurs supporters for supporting him and Mandaric saying the case had been "hanging over" him and "should never have come to court". Mandaric and Peter Storrie former Portsmouth chief executive were also cleared of £600,000 tax dodge claims at a previous trial.
Emotions ran high as the verdict was announced. Relieved by the verdict 64 year old Redknapp and 73 year old Mandaric hugged, Redknapp was also seen embracing his son as he left the courtroom. Mandaric told reporters "I've got to go somewhere to try to pinch myself and wake me up from that horrible dream that I had in the past." During the trial Redknapp was close to tears at times as the Crown alleged he had lied to get himself of the hook.
The news was welcomed not only by Redknapp and Mandaric as Rio Ferdinand who played for West Ham when the pair managed it wrote on Twitter: "Great to see Harry cleared of any wrong doing over 'tax evasion'. Glad for him + the Redknapp family,"
The five year trial cost £8 million pounds in Police investigations but failed to get a conviction. After the aquittal spokesman for HM Revenue and Customs Chris Martin said his department had "no regrets" about pursuing the case. "We accept the verdict of the jury but I would like to remind those who are evading tax by using offshore tax havens that it always makes sense to come forward and talk to us before we come to talk to you."
Redknapp is free to become the manager of the England football team and has been installed bookmakers' odds-on favourite to succeed current boss Fabio Capello.
Article by Michelle
Photo by James Boyes via Wikipedia.
