Uli Hoeness, the president of Bayern Munich was sentenced yesterday to three and a half years in prison for a 28 million euros tax fraud. He also declared in a statement that he would not file an appeal, meaning he is accepting to serve his sentence.
REUTERS/Michael Dalder/Files
Bayern Munich has to go on without their president. “After a discussion with my family, I decided to accept the decision of the court of Munich on my tax situation. I have asked my lawyers not to file an appeal. This tax evasion is the mistake of my life and I accept the consequences.” says Uli Hoeness.
This is a dramatic turn of events since his lawyers, who argued for a conditional sentence, had indicated that they would appeal the decision. They had until March 20 to do so. The Supreme Court in Karlsruhe could confirm the sentence or request for a new trial.
On the fourth day of his trial, the prosecution had even required five years and a half in prison. In Germany, since a decision of the Federal Court of Justice in 2008, a fraudster who conceals more than one million euros in tax incurs a prison sentence.
