Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor announced on Wednesday, September 11, that two people have been arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into corruption in the football player transfer market. The arrest of Christophe Henrotay in the Principality followed several raids carried out in Monaco, London and Belgium on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The name of the second person detained was not released by the Federal Prosecutor, but he was identified as Henrotay’s assistant in Liège, in eastern Belgium.
The case is centred mainly on the 18-million euros transfer of Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic from Anderlecht – Belgium’s most successful club – to Newcastle in 2015, according to sources close to the investigation. In a statement, the office said that the latest searches follow a round carried out in April this year in connection with the payment of hidden commissions. “The facts include money laundering and private bribery in the context of transfers of football players,” the Office said.
In this week’s raids, four searches were carried out in Monaco, two in Belgium and one in London. The Federal Judicial Police of Liège, the Monaco police, the Metropolitan Police and the HM Revenue & Customs of Great Britain were all involved.
ORIGINAL SOURCES: Marca, en24.news, www.hin.be and others
PHOTO: Christophe Henrotay
