In the first day of his tax evasion trial, Bayern Munich president Ulrich "Uli" Hoeneß confessed to evading €18.5 million in taxes. He was originally indicted for €3.55 million in back taxes. Hoeneß said he wants to make "no ifs and buts" and to clear the slate. [tz-online]
"I did commit the tax crimes I have been charged with. In other words: I did evade taxes. It is also clear to me that the amended return changes nothing. But I was hoping to avoid the legal prosecution with my amended return," Hoeneß said as part of his confession. [Abendzeitung]
The indictment of Hoeneß was in regards to €33.5 million in "concealed taxable capital gains, speculative profits, and other income" between 2003 and 2009. In his opening statement, Hoeneß's lawyer Hanns Feigen said that subsequently submitted documents increased the tax evasion to over €15 million, and whether that sum is in addition to the €3.55 million Hoeneß was indicted for is still unclear.
In addition to Hoeneß testifying, two tax agents took the stand for the prosecution. Both explained how they discovered a bank account in Switzerland belonging to FC Bayern. The tax office allegedly was going execute a special audit of the club on January 18, 2013, the day after Hoeneß submitted his amended tax return. [Abendzeitung]
The Munich II court have scheduled a four-day hearing, and Hoeneß could face anywhere between a fine and ten years in prison [ESPN FC]. The hearing is set to resume at 9:30 UTC (4:30 AM EDT).