Mandaric 'said he had paid the tax'

Milan Mandaric told Harry Redknapp “there is no tax” as the manager expressed concern over the Monaco bank account, a court heard today.

Redknapp claimed he confronted his then chairman after Portsmouth secured Premier League survival with an away win at Blackburn Rovers in 2004.

Redknapp thought it would be a good idea to raise the “investment” as they drank wine at an airport, the manager told officers in June 2009.

Mandaric was said to have told Redknapp: “Harry, there is no tax. I’ve paid the tax. There is no tax for you.”

Regarding the state of the “investment”, Mandaric was alleged to say: “Disaster, disaster. Got wiped out. There’s still a little bit in there.”

Redknapp told officers he did not press the issue as Mandaric “wasn’t a man to argue with”, jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard.

The Tottenham Hotspur boss said during the interview: “I want my money paid here. If I don’t go with, you know, I’m not going to get my money anywhere.”

Redknapp went on to tell detectives that “Milan, not me” had control over the Rosie 47 account.

“He must have had control of that bank account, you know,” Redknapp said.

Regarding finances at Portsmouth, Redknapp was said to have told police: “There was a big problem on cash-flow – the club was late on wages.”

Both Redknapp and Mandaric deny two counts of cheating the public revenue over payments worth £189,000.