African legend Samuel Eto'o will reportedly be tried for failing to pay taxes while on the books of Barcelona. Here are the latest details of the case, including the figure he is believed to owe Spanish authorities.
According to The Africa Report, the Cameroon Football Federation president will stand trial for alleged tax evasion between the years 2006 and 2009, during which time he was on the books of the Catalan giants.
It is suggested that the ex-striker owes Spanish authorities €3.8 million (R62 million) in unpaid taxes, although that figure is believed to be closer to €8 million (R131 million), including penalties.
Eto'o, however, has pleaded his innocence, with his lawyers claiming the former Blaugrana talisman was a victim of Jose Maria Mesalles, who had once acted as his lawyer and whom the former player had given the power "to buy, sell, make transfers, manage his assets and, therefore, discharge his tax obligations".
Mesalles, in fact, was convicted of fraud in 2013 after Eto'o filed an official complaint against him following the lawyer's decision to buy shares in a company in Spain in 2002 on his client's behalf and lied about the percentage his stake represented.
It was found that Mesalles acquired the shares through a series of "fraudulent financial arrangements" and was later ordered to pay Eto'o €18 million (R295 million) in damages, a figure that was reportedly never paid.
Eto'o, due to the circumstances, is therefore pleading good faith and has demanded that Mesalles' criminal liability be recognised.
