Eto’o admitted tax fraud and accepted a sentence of 22 months in prison

The exfutbolista of FC Barcelona Samuel Eto’o and his former agent Jose Maria Mesalles They accepted on Monday sentences of 22 months and one year in prison, respectively, after admitting that they defrauded 3,872,621 euros in public propertybetween 2006 and 2009.

In his statement at Criminal Court number 11 of Barcelona, Eto’o admitted the fraud but blamed it, without directly mentioning him, in Mesalleswhich he always referred to as the “second father”.

In fact, the former Cameroonian football player He sued his former representative for alleged crimes of fraud and misuse in the management of his assets, something that is still at the stage of investigation.

“I know the facts and I am going to pay, but let it know that I was young then and I always did what my father asked me to do,” he said. Samuel Eto’o.

Mesallesfor his part, preferred not to testify before admitting the facts, in a concession hearing in which the third defendant, Jesus Ballastadministrator of one of the instrumental companies used in the fraud, was acquitted.

In its indictment, the prosecution sought sentences of 4 years and 6 months imprisonment for Eto’o and Mesalles who was finally left with 22 months for the former player, as the author of four crimes against the Public Treasury, and one year for his former agent as a required cooperator.

Also, dating African striker He was sentenced to pay four fines, one for each crime, worth 1,810,310 euros, and his former representative another four for a total amount of 905,155 euros.

The sentences, whose execution would be suspended because none of them had a criminal record, were simplified by the Public Prosecutor’s Office by recognizing both facts and partially fixing the damage on the return of part of the defrauded fees.

The events being tested today in the City of Justice took place between 2006 and 2009, years in which Samuel Eto’o earned huge profits from the transfer of its image rights to the sports brand Cougar and FC Barcelona, ​​which should be taxed as income from movable capital on their personal income tax returns, but not declared by the footballer.

Eto’o pretended that such rights were transferred to two companies located in Hungary and Spain, so the profits were transferred to the Hungarian company, which is managed by brassdoes not pay taxes to the Treasury, while those diverted to the Spanish company, which is administered by Mesallesthey did so at a rate lower than the equivalent of personal income tax.