Bayern Munich received some unwanted attention on Monday ahead of their UEFA Champions League semifinals match against Barcelona and Lionel Messi, as president Uli Hoeness revealed ahead of the match that he alerted government authorities of a secret Swiss bank account.
According to Reuters, president Uli Hoeness said that he voluntary gave himself up and reported to authorities about his account after a tax evasion investigation and the government also has taken flak for being too lenient on evaders. The report says that he alerted authorities in January about the Swiss account and personal friend Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was disappointed at him through her spokesman.
In the past Hoeness has been outspoken about sports and other political issues and now he is right in the middle of one, as many in the media and the opposite side of politics have said that Merkel has been soft on tax evaders and now that will be put to the test as an election is coming up and the president of the club is a personal acquaintance. The report says that Merkel will need to address the issue, as it will be a sticking point in the upcoming election, especially since she is running against SPD candidate Peer Steinbrueck, who was the German finance minister.
Hoeness looks a bit bad since he previously went against tax evasion on talk shows and he also said he believed in higher tax rates on higher income makers, but the Swiss account undermines all of that. He is known for his modest living and the new news could be hurtful to that in the future after he spent most of his life in a semi-detached house.
Hoeness said he turned himself in through his tax adviser and that he declined further comments on the situation. The incident will likely be a main point as the election season gets closer and a number of leaders distanced themselves in the issue after it came up.
"Tax evasion is without any doubt a serious crime and there can be no justification at all for tax evasion," Seibert told a government news conference. "Uli Hoeness has disappointed many people in Germany, including the chancellor."
