Aboutrika bags one year jail term over tax evasion

Former Egypt forward Mohamed Aboutrika, one of the country’s most famous sportsmen, has been sentenced to a year in jail on charges of tax evasion, local media reported on Tuesday.

A commercial and financial crimes court in Cairo passed the sentence against Aboutrika in absentia on Monday, the state-run al-Ahram newspaper reported.

The court found Aboutrika guilty of evading taxes on earnings of 710,000 Egyptian pounds (R574 664) for doing advertisements for a soft drinks and a telecoms firm.

The paper said the court ordered the former player who now lives in Qatar to pay 20,000 pounds as a bond to turn the prison term into a suspended sentence.

Aboutrika, 40, played 100 times for Egypt from 2001-13, scoring 38 goals and helping his country win the African Nations Cup in 2006 and 2008.

Tuesday’s ruling puts the former Al-Ahly midfielder and forward in the list of players that have had to battle with the law following allegations of tax evasion.

Among top players and coaches that have been fingered in this regard include former Real Madrid and now Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo while he was playing in Spain, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho.

Aboutrika who has been living in Qatar since retiring from football in 2013 is however yet to react to the ruling.