Former Arsenal legend Anders Limpar lied to the ta

Former Arsenal legend Anders Limpar lied to the taxman about a pnds stlg 180,000 transfer from Italy to Highbury so he could keep his cut to himself, a court heard today (WED).

The former Swedish international claimed he had not received a penny from Italian club Cremonese his former accountant Marc Geppert told a jury.

Geppert who is accused of stealing almost pnds stlg 90,000 from the former winger said he was shocked to get a letter from the taxman asking for their share of the star’s fee.

He told Southwark Crown court: ‘We received a letter stating that there were omissions from Limpar’s income tax returns.

‘We were sent a questionnaire about his earnings which we then went through.

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Defending the accountant, John Evison asked: ‘Did you ask him about any fee at Cremonese?’

He replied: ‘I went through every question in detail.

‘Limpar said he had received no payments.

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Mr Evison went on: ‘Obviously the tax people had confirmation about the payments but did you have any confirmation at that stage that Anders Limpar was lying?’

Geppert replied: ‘Absolutely none whatsoever.

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Southwark Crown Court has heard that Limpar kept his part of the 1990 fee overseas thinking he was exempt from paying UK tax.

When told to hand over the taxman’s share he called in Geppert, 47, who he paid pnds stlg 25,000 to slash a pnds stlg 200,000 tax bill to 77,000.

But it is alleged Limpar had already paid all the tax he needed yet still settle the bill prepared by Geppert, which together with inflation, took it to just under pnds stlg 90,000.

Giving evidence, Geppert said he was entitled to the cash for all the work he did sorting out the Highbury star’s finances.

Referring to the total bill of pnds stlg 115,000 he said: ‘For a particularly difficult investigation, this was normal.

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He said he chased Limpar all over England and spent hours getting the player’s papers in order – charging pnds stlg 250 for 60 minutes work.

Geppert told the jury: ‘I always had to follow Limpar around the country to see him.

‘I spent a lot of hours travelling to wherever he was, meeting him at hotels the night before matches where the teams were staying.

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He said he would often visit Limpar at his Hemel Hempstead home when he was playing for Arsenal and frequently hit the M1 when the star moved to Everton.

‘I would not be able to see him until after training so I would get there (Mosley Hill in Merseyside) around midday,’ said Geppert.

‘It would take about five hours to drive there, then spend three or four hours going through the papers and then would spend another four or five hours going back.

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The alleged theft came to light when then Arsenal boss George Graham was investigated by the Inland Revenue in 1994 which led them to Limpar.

The player turned to father-of-two Geppert for help and paid him pnds stlg 25,000 over the next 15 months, while allegedly being conned.

Geppert, of George Lane, South Woodford, Essex, denies one charge of theft between March 19 and March 26, 1996, in that he stole a credit balance of pnds stlng 89,995 belonging to Mr Limpar.

He claims the money was cash owed to him for accountancy work.

The trial continues.

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