Harry Redknapp's rage: Tottenham Hotspur boss hits out at £40,000 tax evasion charges
Harry Redknapp insists he remains fully focused on steering Tottenham into the Champions League after being accused yesterday of a £40,000 tax evasion.
Redknapp slammed the charges, which are the result of a 26-month police and tax inquiry into alleged corruption in football, as 'farcical' and is adamant he has done nothing wrong.
'This is not a football-related matter so I have no intention of letting it distract me at all from what I am doing and intend to do at the club,' he said.
'This all dates back to 2002, so it has been going on far too long. It is farcical. I have issued a statement. I know I have done nothing wrong, I've been saying it for a long time, but the matter is in the hands of solicitors so I have nothing more to say about this.'
Redknapp voluntarily attended Bishopsgate police station in London to be charged by police and will appear at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on February 11.
The charges concern two payments totalling $295,000 (about £181,000) from former Portsmouth owner Milan Mandaric to Redknapp via a bank account in Monaco, evading the tax and national insurance contributions due between April 1, 2002 and November 28, 2007.
Sportsmail revealed this week that Redknapp has assembled a formidable legal team led by top lawyer Ian Burton and QC John Kelsey-Fry.
Burton said: 'Harry has co-operated fully with investigators during the course of this inquiry and is confident of a successful outcome to these court proceedings.'
A Tottenham spokesman reiterated last night that the charges will not affect Redknapp's job and that he retains the full support of the club.
Mandaric, 71, now chairman of Leicester, was charged with tax evasion on Tuesday and has also been ordered to appear in court on February 11.
On the playing side, Redknapp is considering taking Younes Kaboul back to Spurs from Portsmouth.
R edknapp was Pompey boss in August 2008 when Kaboul left White Hart Lane for Fratton Park for £5million but money is still owed on the transfer. Spurs are also owed money from the £4.5m sale of Kevin-Prince Boateng in August but the debts would be more than offset by the return of Kaboul, valued by Portsmouth at £14m.
As expected, the Premier League board agreed yesterday that the £7m slice of broadcasting cash due to Pompey would go straight to clubs owed money by the crisis club.
However, Portsmouth are also due at the High Court in London today to contest a £6m tax bill.
Pompey goalkeeper David James will have a medical today before completing his loan move to Stoke after the south coast club decided not to charge a £1m loan fee.
Penniless Portsmouth were demanding Stoke pay to take over the final six months of James' Fratton Park contract, which is setting them back £50,000 a week.
James is likely to make his Stoke debut against former club Liverpool at the Britannia Stadium tomorrow.
