REDKNAPP ‘HID BANK ACCOUNT FOR SIX YEARS’

TOTTENHAM Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp kept two “bungs” paid into an off-shore bank secret for SIX YEARS, a court was told.

Redknapp, 64, is said to have received payments totalling £189,500 into a Monaco-based account – named after his bulldog Rosie – between 2002 and 2004.

The Spurs boss is accused of cheating the public revenue with his former employer at Portsmouth FC, Milan Mandaric.

Redknapp and Mandaric, 73, deliberately dodged paying national insurance and income tax contributions on the two payments, made into the account which was set up in April 2002, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Prosecutors claim the two secret payments were “undoubtedly referable to his employment” and were, therefore, taxable.

Redknapp ( above) allegedly hushed up existence of the account despite being under investigation over a similar payment for £300k from his former club West Ham after the sale of Rio Ferdinand to Leeds.

Prosecutor John Black QC told jurors: “The existence of the bank account was not mentioned to Revenue and Customs for nearly six years.”

The existence of the Rosie47 account only came to the attention of HMRC in January 2008 when Redknapp’s accountants wrote to them about its interest.

It was disclosed that payment in respect of that interest in the region of £1,700 was due, said the barrister.

Redknapp, of Sandbanks, Dorset, and Mandaric, of Oadby, Leics, both deny two counts of cheating the public revenue.

The trial continues.