GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 15 2014
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Hoeness quits Bayern, accepts jail term for tax evasion By Jens Hack MUNICH, Germany - (Reuters) - Uli Hoeness said yesterday he would accept a 3-1/2year prison term for evading 27 million euros (22.5 million pounds) in taxes and resigned as president and chairman of Bayern Munich, the club he made into one of the world’s most successful football dynasties. Hoeness, 62, a household name in his country and friend of Chancellor Angela Merkel, had admitted evading taxes on income earned in secret Swiss bank accounts but hoped for leniency in one of the most scrutinised cases of its kind ever in Germany.
Uli Hoeness “After discussions with my my understanding of decency, family I have decided to accept dignity and personal responthe ruling of the Munich court sibility,” he wrote in a stateon my tax affairs. This befits ment published on the Bayern website. “Tax evasion was the biggest mistake of my life.” Judge Rupert Heindl ruled on Thursday that Hoeness’s voluntary disclosure was incomplete and therefore did not meet a vital requirement of amnesty laws designed to encourage tax dodgers to come clean. Hoeness, a former star foot(REUTERS) - England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of this month’s World Twenty20 in Bangladesh with a fractured hand, the England and Wales Cricket Board said yesterday. Chris Woakes has been added to the 15-man squad to replace Stokes, who suffered the injury when he struck a locker in the PRETORIA, South Africa dressing-room following his dismissal in the Twenty20 interna(Reuters) - Australia comforttional against West Indies in Barbados on Thursday. “I am really disappointed to be missing out on going to a ably chased down a modest World T20 with England - it was a huge error in judgement target set by South Africa to following a frustrating tour for me and I deeply regret my win the third Twenty20 inbehaviour,” Stokes said in an ECB statement. ternational by six wickets at “I would like to wish the team all the very best in Bangladesh.” SuperSport Park and take the Stokes, 22, enjoyed a successful Ashes tour of Australia, making a century in the third Test in Perth which was Enseries 2-0 after the first game gland’s only individual hundred in a series they lost 5-0, and was washed out. establishing himself in the side. A quick-fire 39 off 27 balls But he endured a dismal tour of West Indies, making only from opener Aaron Finch set nine runs in three one-day internationals, and four runs in two Twenty20s, including a golden duck in the third game of the series. the platform for the victory as Stokes did not take an international wicket in the CaribAustralia reached 129 for four bean. with five overs to spare in reply England’s preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup had alto South Africa’s 128 for seven ready suffered a blow this week with the withdrawal of all-rounder Joe Root due to a thumb injury. off 20 overs. Experienced batsman Ian Bell was called up to replace him. The home side struggled on a slow and difficult pitch and only opener Quinton de Kock, who scored 41, emerged with any plaudits as wickets fell around him. Australia fast bowler Mitch-
England’s Stokes ruled out of World T20
baller adored by Bayern Munich fans, had been a popular TV talk show guest and ironically had spoken out for higher taxes and railed against tax evasion. “The chancellor respects the decision Mr Hoeness took today,” Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said. He declined to give details of a lunch between the chancellor and Hoeness that took place the day before Hoeness decided to turn himself in - a meeting that has been the subject of media speculation. The case hinged on the question of whether Hoeness, who as a player helped West Germany win the 1974 World Cup, cooperated fully with his voluntary disclosure. The court decided he took too long to provide information, and it was riddled with errors. His case profoundly shocked Germany, where tax evasion is considered a serious crime, and prompted thousands of tax dodgers to turn themselves in. It caused deeper shock than when Peter Graf, the late father of former tennis champion Steffi
Graf, was exposed as a tax cheat during the height of her career. He was sentenced in 1997 to three years and nine months for evading 12.3 million marks (6.3 million euros) and released after 25 months. “LIFE’S WORK” Germany’s centre-left deputy chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, said the sentence for Hoeness showed “justice has been done”. He called for the directors of Swiss banks that hide such funds to be hauled before the courts. Hoeness was first charged with evading 3.5 million euros in taxes. But when the trial began on Monday he stunned the court by admitting he had actually evaded five times that amount - or 18.5 million euros. That figure was subsequently raised further to 28.5 million euros - a figure acknowledged by Hoeness’s defence team. Hoeness said he would leave his posts with the club in order to spare Bayern Munich, a team which last year won the Champions League and which
dominates the German Bundesliga, any damage. “Bayern Munich is my life’s work and will also remain so,” he said. The club’s earnings have soared under his stewardship, which has lasted 35 years in various posts. It has more than 220 000 club members, many of them fans, who have a vote at annual Bayern Munich policy meetings. FC Bayern Munich AG is privately owned. Major German companies Adidas AG ADSGn. DE, Allianz ALVG.DE and Audi AG VOWG_p.DE, all of which are based in the state of Bavaria, have each an 8.3 percent stake in the club. Deutsche Telekom AG DTEGn.DE is the club’s main advertising sponsor. Bayern Munich named Herbert Hainer, the CEO of Adidas, to replace Hoeness as chairman of the supervisory board and vice president. Board members include Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn and Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges.
Australia cruise to comfortable series win
Aaron Finch
ell Starc produced an impressive variation of pace to take two wickets and, as importantly, to concede just 16 runs in his four overs. Finch and Cameron White did not seem to have the same difficulty with the wicket, amassing a quick 43 runs in the first five overs as Australia switched their dominance from ball to bat. Shane Watson pitched in with 35 off 28 balls to ease the touring side to victory. “It puts us in a good way for the World T20,” he told reporters. On Wednesday, Australia produced an exhibition of ferocious batting to edge South Africa in the last over of a match reduced by rain to just seven overs each in Durban.
DCB U-15 Inter-Zone Competition ...
Dominant Georgetown thump East Coast by 142 runs
Ben Stokes
DEFENDING champions Georgetown continued to blow away their opponents in this year’s Demerara Cricket Board Under-15 Inter-Zone Competition by thumping East Coast by 142 runs yesterday at the Enmore Community Centre ground in their second round matchup. Georgetown took to the
crease first and scored 234 for 6 off their 50 overs, with opener Joshua Persaud recording Georgetown’s second century in the competition, 106, while first round centurion Alphius Bookie, was again amongst the runs with 43. Bowling for East Coast, Pradesh Balkishun and Ramdeo Basdeo took two
wickets for 35 and 57 runs respectively, before they were bowled out for 92 in the 40th over, with only Balkishun and Anil Singh reaching double figures with 17 and 13 respectively. The Georgetown bowlers had a feast led by Bookie who took 4 for 21, Khenchandra Hardyal 3 for 19 and Stephon
Wilson 2 for 15. Persaud was adjudged the Man-of-the-Match for his brilliant century. The third and final round of the competition continues today with East Coast and West Demerara clashing at the Wales Community Centre ground, and East Bank taking on Georgetown at the Everest Cricket Club ground.