Leeds owner Cellino found guilty of tax evasion

LEEDS UNITED owner Massimo Cellino has been fined €40,000 (£28,500) after being found guilty of tax evasion by an Italian court.

He has been convicted for failing to pay VAT of €16,000 on an imported Range Rover in a court in Cagliari.

The news comes just over a month since the Italian returned to the Leeds board after serving a four month ban handed down by the Football League for failing to pay import duty on a yacht.

Mr Cellino was acquitted of customs offences on the Range Rover, which had been imported from the United States. He could now face investigation by the Football League to establish whether this latest conviction was confirmed by the court judge to be a dishonest act.

The same judge in Cagliari, Dr Sandra Lepore, convicted Mr Cellino of tax evasion in relation to his yacht, Nelie, last year and fined him €600,000.

The Football League is reportedly waiting for official confirmation of the court’s ruling before deciding whether to act.