In the ongoing trial against Uli Hoeness, who admitted to defrauding 18 million euros, the defense of the Bayern Munich president caused a stir during the trial’s first day on Monday. They claimed to have recently provided documents to tax authorities, demonstrating that Hoeness had evaded paying 18.5 million euros in taxes, a stark contrast to the 3.5 million euros the Munich public prosecutor initially accused him of.
However, testimony from an agent of the tax administration in Rosenheim, Bavaria, identified as Gabriele H., has further complicated matters. According to Gabriele H., the original PDF documents were created on January 18, 2013, despite being copied onto computer support and delivered to the tax authorities on February 24. This indicates that Hoeness may have withheld these documents for over a year, revealing the true extent of his tax evasion.
Such testimony poses a significant challenge for the president of Germany’s most successful club. Hoeness must convince the court of the sincerity and completeness of his self-disclosure in January 2013 to potentially avoid a prison sentence. Initially charged with concealing 33.5 million euros in financial gains between 2003 and 2009, Hoeness’s admission on Monday multiplied the estimated tax shortfall by five. He acknowledged, “I committed tax evasion… I deeply regret my criminal behavior,” expressing a desire to fully address this chapter of his life.
Although Hoeness initiated proceedings to rectify his situation last year, hoping to evade criminal prosecution, the Munich public prosecutor’s office suspects his actions were prompted solely by the fear of being exposed by the German press. Should the court find his self-disclosure insincere, Hoeness faces the possibility of up to ten years in prison.
