Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness could face prison term for tax evasion

Former manager of Bayern Muenchen Uli Hoeness (C) arrives for his trial escorted by police officers at the justice palace court room on March 10, 2014 in Munich, Germany.

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is on trial in Munich after he was accused of tax evasion.

He has been accused of evading tax in the region of £2.9m. If Hoeness is found guilty, he could be facing the possibility of spending time in prison when the verdict is announced on Thursday.

A tax evasion penalty can be a 10-year sentence but it was learnt that the prosecution will look to get him behind bars for seven years.

The 62-year-old president recently admitted to having a secret bank account in Switzerland but at the same time argued that he had indeed filed an updated tax return in 2013 and that he had informed tax officials in Germany about his undeclared income.

Hoeness believed that by admitting to the tax evasion and paying the arrears, he might be spared but the prosecuting team believe that Hoeness would not have done so had he not known about the investigation.

The allegation leveled against Hoeness in court was that he did not declare his income that was in his Swiss bank account for seven years. The case itself has become famous for calls to modify existing German laws to allow those who evade tax to avoid prosecution if they turn themselves in before investigations get underway.

In the tax returns in a five year period between 2004 and 2009, he did not declare an income of more than €33.5m.

Bayern Munich have refused to make any comments before the trial and it is understood that chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will give a statement after the verdict – one which may be tough to accept as the judge is not known to cut deals with the defendants.