I'm not a legal person but if he has been fined and pays isn't it a spent conviction?
Sent from my iPhone > On 18 Mar 2014, at 18:32, John Boocock <[email protected]> wrote: > > NB Cellino's brief is called Professor Cocco. Enough I say! > > > Leeds United: Confusion continues after Cellino found guilty of tax evasion > > http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/latest-whites-news/leeds-united-confusion-continues-after-cellino-found-guilty-of-tax-evasion-1-6504825 > > Leeds United fans are braced for a prolonged period of uncertainty over the > club’s future after an Italian court found prospective owner Massimo Cellino > guilty of tax evasion. > > The 57-year-old has been waiting for the Football League to approve his > takeover of the Whites since his company Eleonora Sports agreed a £25million > deal to buy 75 per cent of the club’s shares at the beginning of February. > > But the Italian’s bid to take control at Elland Road appears to have been > scuppered after he was fined 600,000 euros by Judge Sandra Lepore in a > Cagliari court for failing to pay more than 400,000 euros in import tax on > his luxury yacht, Nelie, which he bought in 2010 and has now been confiscated. > > Cellino’s lawyer Giovanni Cocco immediately announced the Miami-based > businessman planned to appeal against the court’s ruling. > > The Football League has been in protracted negotiations with Cellino’s legal > representatives in England and was understood to be waiting for the outcome > of the court hearing before making a decision on the ownership of Leeds. > > A Football League statement read: “The Football League has noted the outcome > of the court hearing earlier (on Tuesday) regarding Massimo Cellino. > > “We are engaged in an ongoing dialogue with his legal representatives in this > country and cannot comment further at this time.” > > The governing body’s ‘owners and directors’ test, prevents anyone with an > unspent conviction for dishonesty offences from being a director, a 30 per > cent owner, or from exercising control over one of its clubs. > > Leeds supporters can now expect further delays and more legal wrangling > between Cellino and the League as the uncertainty over their club continues. > > Leeds managing director David Haigh insisted last week that there is “no > chance” of the club going into administration, as it is Cellino’s money which > has been keeping the club going. > > “This verdict is absolutely unjust and we will appeal,” Cocco told the > Guardian after the brief court session. > > Cellino, currently the owner of Cagliari, denies that he was seeking to evade > import duty on the yacht. > > He told the court in December that he had planned to have it sailed to the > United States, where he had bought it, but was unable to due to damage to the > vessel. > > Cellino, who exchanged contracts with Leeds’ current owners Gulf finance > House Capital to buy 75 per cent of the club’s shares on February 1, has > already provided considerable funds to cover running costs at Elland Road. > > He has covered the club’s staff wage bill for the last two months and has > paid off a loan from shirt sponsors Enterprise Insurance to stave off a > winding-up order. > > Since the takeover deal with GFH Capital was agreed, Leeds have also signed > Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland and Sunderland striker Connor Wickham on loan > until the end of the season. > > Cellino’s lawyers started talks with the Football League at the end of > January and the Cagliari owner met with the governing body on February 12. > > Bahrain-based investment firm GFH Capital has been searching for major > investment since buying the club from Ken Bates in December 2012. > > A rival consortium to Cellino, headed by Andrew Flowers, chief executive of > club sponsor Enterprise Insurance, withdrew from the race to take control at > Elland Road at the end of January, but a third group, Together Leeds, fronted > by former Manchester United international managing director Mike Farnan, has > been waiting in the background. > > GFH Capital has so far refused to enter into serious talks with Together > Leeds after rejecting a “derisory” offer from them in November. > > Cellino has twice been previously convicted of fraud and is currently > contesting a separate charge of embezzlement. > > He received a 15-month suspended prison sentence in 2001 after being > convicted of false accounting at Cagliari. > > A previous conviction in 1996 for fraudulently claiming EU agricultural > subsidies was overturned in 2012, while in February 2013 he spent 16 days in > jail after being arrested for embezzlement - a charge he denies - in relation > to the redevelopment of Cagliari’s Is Arena stadium. > > But Cellino’s two previous convictions, nearly 13 and 18 years old, are > considered “spent” in English law and it is understood they cannot be taken > into consideration under the League’s test. > > In relation to his outstanding charge, Cellino is assumed innocent until it > can be proved otherwise and he denies the allegations. > > Cellino, long considered one of the most charismatic owners in Italian > football, was shown around Leeds’ Thorp Arch training ground for the first > time in October. > > A Leeds spokesman said on Tuesday that the club would not be commenting at > this stage and were waiting for the Football League’s definitive decision on > Cellino’s proposed takeover before issuing a statement. > > Cellino said publicly last week that he could no longer continue to bankroll > the club until the League gives his takeover the go ahead. > > He also said he would “walk away” from Leeds without a fight if he did not > pass the League’s test. > > But it seems the agricultural entrepreneur is not ready to give up his fight > yet. > > Cellino’s lawyer Professor Cocco told BBC Radio Leeds that the appeal against > the tax evasion verdict could take between six and nine months. > > Cocco added: “According to my point of view, this business (on Tuesday) has > no relevance whatsoever to the decision of the Football League. > > “Obviously that’s up to the Football League themselves. > > “In my opinion, as a lawyer, today’s sentence has no relevance to the > takeover of Leeds United. > > “The verdict does not mean that Cellino is guilty - because in Italian law he > can only be guilty after the third stage of the process. Today he is > innocent.” > > > --- > This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus > protection is active. > http://www.avast.com > > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > John 'Grampa' Sykes > Rest In Peace old lad > 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 > MARCHING ON TOGETHER _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] John 'Grampa' Sykes Rest In Peace old lad 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 MARCHING ON TOGETHER
