Ronaldo’s yacht boarded by Spanish customs agents

AFP, MADRID: Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was treated to a surprise visit abroad his rented yacht when Spanish customs agents boarded the boat in what tax authorities said Wednesday was merely a “routine check.”

The 32-year-old Portuguese star is holidaying in the Balearic Islands along with his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and family, according to Spain's Hola celebrity magazine, which first reported the story.

The magazine published photos of three uniformed customs agents arriving on a motorised rubber dinghy before boarding the grey yacht where an awning was pulled down over the main part of the boat as they went about their inspection.

News of the inspection, which took place on Tuesday, made waves -- coming as it does just three weeks before Ronaldo appears before a judge, accused of evading 14.7 million euros ($16.8 million) in taxes. But a source at Spain's tax agency, who refused to be named, said it was merely "a routine check of vessels."

“We do this every summer in the Balearic Islands. It doesn't affect those who use the boats, it's related to charter companies' registration taxes.”

Meanwhile, Portuguese tax inspectors were examining the accounts of football super-agent Jorge Mendes on Wednesday, his company said, two weeks after he was charged in Spain with tax fraud.

The 51-year-old Mendes represents Cristiano Ronaldo, Jose Mourinho, Radamel Falcao and a host of other top earning stars, many of whom are being investigated in Spain over allegations they hid earnings from image rights in off-shore accounts.

“An inspection procedure is currently underway and it is being carried out in normal conditions,” a spokesman for Mendes's firm Gestifute told the news agency on Wednesday, adding the company had already been subject to a series of similar inspections that had passed off without incident.

The investigation in Portugal concerns the past three years and is focusing on whether Mendes had created shell companies for his clients, a charge which he recently denied in a Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Monaco striker Radamel Falcao.

Spanish prosecutors have accused Mendes's most celebrated client Ronaldo of $16.76 million (14.6 million euros) tax fraud and he is due to testify in court on July 31.

Portuguese defender Fabio Coentrao, accused of evading nearly 1.3 million euros, made a settlement with the Spanish taxman last week.

Ronaldos yacht boarded by Spanish customs agents

AFP, MADRID: Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was treated to a surprise visit abroad his rented yacht when Spanish customs agents boarded the boat in what tax authorities said Wednesday was merely a routine check. The 32-year-old Portuguese star is holidaying in the Balearic Islands along with his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and family, according to Spains Hola celebrity magazine, which first reported the story. The magazine published photos of three uniformed customs agents arriving on a motorised rubber dinghy before boarding the grey yacht where an awning was pulled down over the main part of the boat as they went about their inspection. News of the inspection, which took place on Tuesday, made waves -- coming as it does just three weeks before Ronaldo appears before a judge, accused of evading 14.7 million euros ($16.8 million) in taxes. But a source at Spains tax agency, who refused to be named, said it was merely a routine check of vessels. We do this every summer in the Balearic Islands. It doesnt affect those who use the boats, its related to charter companies registration taxes. Meanwhile, Portuguese tax inspectors were examining the accounts of football super-agent Jorge Mendes on Wednesday, his company said, two weeks after he was charged in Spain with tax fraud. The 51-year-old Mendes represents Cristiano Ronaldo, Jose Mourinho, Radamel Falcao and a host of other top earning stars, many of whom are being investigated in Spain over allegations they hid earnings from image rights in off-shore accounts. An inspection procedure is currently underway and it is being carried out in normal conditions, a spokesman for Mendess firm Gestifute told the news agency on Wednesday, adding the company had already been subject to a series of similar inspections that had passed off without incident. The investigation in Portugal concerns the past three years and is focusing on whether Mendes had created shell companies for his clients, a charge which he recently denied in a Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Monaco striker Radamel Falcao. Spanish prosecutors have accused Mendess most celebrated client Ronaldo of $16.76 million (14.6 million euros) tax fraud and he is due to testify in court on July 31. Portuguese defender Fabio Coentrao, accused of evading nearly 1.3 million euros, made a settlement with the Spanish taxman last week.