JABAR EKSPRES – Luka Modric and Dejan Lovren were allegedly charged by Croatian prosecutors on Thursday (6/30) local time, for having given false testimony at a trial case related to soccer corruption.
In 2017, both players were witnesses at the trial of former Dinamo Zagreb official Zdravko Mamic. They were then asked to testify about the details of their transfer from the Croatian League championship club, as quoted by AFP.
At that time Modric explained the details of his transfer Dinamo to Tottenham Hotspur which occurred in 2008. He then joined Real Madrid in 2012.
Meanwhile, Lovren explained the details of his transfer which took place in 2010, from Dinamo to French club Lyon.
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Both players were charged with giving false testimony in 2018, but the charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence. For Modric the charges were dropped in 2018, and Lovren only got the same thing in 2019.
On Thursday (6/29), prosecutors from the city of Osijek charged two people with only mentioning their year of birth, for giving false testimony. Local media identified them as Modric and Lovren.
Modric was charged with giving false testimony in 2017 by the Osijek Court, the prosecutor said, citing the date when the Real star testified at Mamic’s trial. Meanwhile, Lovren was charged on September 1, 2017.
In Croatia, the maximum penalty for false testimony is five years in prison.
Mamic and three others were found guilty of abuse of power and corruption, which cost Dinamo more than 15 million euros and the state 1.5 million euros.
According to the indictment, they embezzled money through fictitious deals when making player transfers.
Mamic, who is said to be one of the kingpins of crime in the Balkan country’s football, is currently hiding in Bosnia. He was sentenced to a prison term of six and a half years.