Rome prosecutors on Wednesday
requested that former Napoli and Argentina soccer great Diego
Maradona be indicted for allegedly defaming the former head of
Italian tax collection agency Equitalia, Attilio Befera.
Maradona is involved in a long-standing dispute with the
Italian tax authorities, who say he owes them around 40 million
euros.
In 2012 he said he was the victim of persecution by
Equitalia.
The dispute regards alleged unpaid taxes on off-the-books
earnings in sponsorship and merchandising deals in his late
1980s glory-day earnings with Napoli and interest on that
income.
Maradona, who played for the Italian club between 1984 and
1991, is revered in Naples for helping the city's soccer team
win two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup.
The former player had a diamond-studded earring and a
Rolex watch seized, among other assets, on past visits to Italy.
Befera was also head of Italy's inland revenue agency, from
2008 to 2014.
A court will now decide whether to send the 54-year-old to
trial.
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