₦airaland Forum

Supreme Court upholds 21-month sentence for Barcelona's Lionel Messi

Spain's Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a 21-month suspended prison sentence for Barcelona star Lionel Messi in his appeal over three counts of tax fraud, a judicial source confirmed.

However, the Barcelona star's father, Jorge Messi, has seen his sentence reduced from 21 to 15 months for his cooperation in returning some of the defrauded money.

Neither is likely to serve any jail time because, under Spanish law, a tax prison sentence of less than two years can be served under probation.

Messi and his father were first sentenced on July 6 but appealed, with prosecutors eventually asking the Spanish Supreme Court to review the sentences last month.

Prosecutors in last year's case judged that Messi and his father had used tax havens in Belize and Uruguay as well as shell companies in the U.K. and Switzerland to avoid paying taxes totalling €4.1 million on earnings from image rights between 2007 and 2009.

The five-time World Player of the Year was also ordered to pay a fine of around €2m at the time, while his father was fined €1.5m.

When news of the investigation first broke in the summer of 2013, Jorge Messi, acting on behalf of the Messis, was reported to have paid over €5m in arrears and extra charges -- he is also believed to have paid €10m in taxes due on the image rights income for 2010 and 2011.

Those actions are behind the six-month reduction in his sentence.

Messi said during last year's trial that he signed many documents when he was younger without reading their contents and had visited a notary's office to set up a company to handle his finances without understanding what was going on.

But Mario Maza, the state attorney representing the tax authorities at the trial, said he found it unlikely that Messi knew nothing about the situation.

"It could be that they are inexperienced with tax matters and the law and are not able to set up their own companies, but they are able to understand what paying your taxes means," he said.

Messi is currently in talks about a contract renewal with Barcelona. His current contract is due to expire at the end of next season.

Barcelona have told ESPN FC they are confident he will sign a contract extension, and Spanish radio reported on Tuesday that a new deal will be signed at the beginning of next season so that the money is used as part of next year's budget.
Source:espnsoccernet.com

ABUJA-Ibrahim Idris may have been named the Acting new Inspector General of Police, IGP.

He replaced Solomon Arase whose tenure officially elapsed on Monday 20th June,2016.

Both had just left President Mohammadu Buhari’s office at thr Villa, where a brief meeting held.

Official statement is being awaited as to replacement.

Until his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, Idris served as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of federal operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

He understandably hails from Niger State.

Details later…
Vanguard news.

So Classy of them, nice outfits... I jux love their difference wit d everyday Naija celebrities n nude or semi-nude outfits

An Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, official has been reportedly killed in Abonnema area of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
It was gathered that electoral officials who were on duty were attacked on arrival at the area.
At press time details on this development were still sketchy.
Details later.
Vanguard News Reports!

The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Mr. Kenneth Kobani has been arrested by men of the Nigerian Army for alleged stalling the distribution of electoral materials.
It was gathered that Kobani had this morning allegedly stormed a RAC centre in his area having gathered that the original result sheets have been carted away.
Later, the military arrested him for stalling the electoral process.
Details later.
Vanguard News report!

The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Mr. Kenneth Kobani has been arrested by men of the Nigerian Army for alleged stalling the distribution of electoral materials.
It was gathered that Kobani had this morning allegedly stormed a RAC centre in his area having gathered that the original result sheets have been carted away.
Later, the military arrested him for stalling the electoral process.
Details later.
Vanguard news report!

Happy birthday to Obj, to Me and all doz born 2day... We're all blessed! Shout out to yu Lord n my late parents for bringing me into dis world on dis date. My ur souls RIP.

My boy, Love him till d end.

tipwill:
if na hit, d guy no nid to google am.

Tnk yu jare... Cos d song emergency is not a hit, jux a typical D'banj's lyricless jam

Loolz... Funny, I played all. OP, yu didn't include 'ski-ski-skilolo'

I jux dnt knw wat gain they intend to achieve from dis their craziness...

Nigeria’s army on Monday said it had foiled a planned Boko Haram attack on the northeastern city of Maiduguri using powerful assault rifles and home-made bombs.
Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said in a statement that “nine terrorists sneaked into Maiduguri armed with AK-47 assault rifles and (a) Hilux vehicle laden with 20 improvised explosive devices”.
The IEDs were “meant to be detonated at some selected targets in the city”, he added.
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, was where Boko Haram was founded in 2002 and has been repeatedly targeted during the Islamist militants’ bloody, six-year insurgency.
At least 265 people have been killed in a wave of suicide and bomb attacks in the city since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power on May 29, vowing the crush the militants.
On September 20, at least 117 were killed in a single attack.
Usman did not elaborate in the statement about potential targets and refused to comment further when contacted by AFP to ask whether the nine had been arrested.
But he added: “We will let you know at the conclusion (of a preliminary investigation) what exactly they wanted to do.”
Boko Haram, which is allied to the so-called Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, wants to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.
At least 17,000 people have been killed since 2009 and 2.6 million forced from them homes in violence that has increasingly hit Nigeria’s neighbours Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Nigeria’s army has in recent months claimed a series of successes against Boko Haram, pushing them out of captured territory, destroying camps and rescuing hundreds of people held captive.
It has also claimed the arrest of a number of wanted suspects.
On Monday, the army said it had “discovered and destroyed” an IED and rocket-making factory near the town of Bama, 72 kilometres (45 miles) southeast of Maiduguri by road.
Items recovered included gas cylinders, pipes, poles and welding equipment plus locally made rocket shells, unprimed IEDs and chemicals.
phz/ser
Vanguard news.

I Luv her style, so unique

kemlily:
Beta pikin

na una time jare

Nice, wud like to knw yu

kemlily:
Beta pikin

na una time jare

Yu're lovely, wudnt mind being ur frnd

chaberry:
Are you Niger-Delta spokesman? If you're not, shut it and go to hell

Very foolish of yu... Keep it up

Well said, only touts n urchins are in support of d mad man called Nnamdi Kanu. Niger-Deltans have neva supported him, only the gullible n greedy ones

What's there to lie abt? Huh!

Wat is so special wit girls n their body-shape? Wen d only tin guys crave for is their p***y n b**bs. Humans making unneccessary tins more dan important. SMH.

MrMcJay:
The initial part of your post shows the type of upbringing you have. Hence, I'll skip that.

What experience did Obanikoro have in Military administration that GEJ made him Minister of State for Defence?
What experience did GEJ have in leadership that he became Nigeria's President?
We are talking of track records of achievements that would turn the country around and you are talking of Universities and Polytechnics. GEJ has a 'PhD', can you state a single achievement of his while he ruled Bayelsa?

There are administrative heads and political heads in Ministries. The Minister is the Political head, while the Perm. Sec. is the administrative head. Mind you, many of the Perm Secs. are Phd holders and Professors, hence your logic collapses on its face.

There are many factors responsible for the economy being this way and Ministerial politics is just one of them. Afterall, who was the Minster of Power when electricity Generation surpassed 5,000MW?

.




I jux like d way dropped it, very calm n maturely. I read so many comments against PMB all cos of hate or sentimental reasons. PMB simply stated facts which we all knw, Perm sec does d works while commissioners n ministers travel arround

Joseph Mbu
The Nigeria Police Force said on Friday that a former Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, and an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, is still in service since his redeployment to Plateau State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, stated this following the claim by some activists that Mbu’s quietness betrayed his controversial bearing, wondering if he was still in the Force.
She said in a text message on the inquiry, ‘‘He is still with the Force; posted to the Police Staff College, Jos, Plateau State, as Commandant.’’
A popular legal practitioner, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, had noted that it was unlike the police officer to keep away from the limelight.
He said, ‘‘One is tempted to conclude that Mbu has left the Force because of his penchant for unguarded public utterances. It is not like him to keep quiet for so long. He is known to speak even more than the spokesperson of the Force. This made us to wonder if he is still in service.’’
Besides, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch, Mr. Monday Ubani, said the change of leadership in the country could be responsible for the quiet nature of Mbu.
He added, ‘‘The police officer is very intelligent and independent-minded. I discovered this when I interacted with him. He is well loved by his junior officers because he cares about their welfare.’’
Mbu was at loggerheads with the then governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, when he was serving as the CP in the state.
Upon his redeployment to the Federal Capital Territory as CP in 2014, Mbu described himself as the lion who tamed ‘the leopard of Port Harcourt’ apparently referring to Amaechi.
While serving as CP in the FCT, he banned the #BringBackOurGirls group from holding street protests but the then IG, Mohammed Abubakar, later overruled the directive.
While he was redeployed to Lagos to oversee the 2015 general elections, he threatened to kill 10 persons for every policeman killed in the line of duty.

I live in Okilo road, Abuloma n didn't hear or see anytin of such... And dat gutter doesn't look like Okilo's gutter cos it aint wide as dis. OP, hope yu are getting ur facts right. No offence plz

bodeloja:
No excuses, GEJ inherited a dilapidated infastructure nationwide, he did not complain but got down to work.


Buhari must not disappoint or go back on his words.


We are not afraid to call u a liar and cakll for your impeachment, if you do.

.


Yu are jux being stupid, do yu knw wat GEJ inherited from Yar'Adua? God rest his soul.

I jux so love dis man, he's really simple n humble. He's not power drunk unlike my fellow Naija Deltan n his wife. May God see yu tru n use yu as d change agent we voted for Sir PMB.

ifeness:
Yes Biafra without the oil regions.

Biafra doesn't exist anymore. If they want it, they shud re-do their map cos we in d Naija Delta are not part of it. Igbos n their dubious ways, #Bleep dem all

Dat is so gross... Buh a guy can't help buh to console her during d painz