Inquiry into false accounting in Inter and Milan

An inquiry into false accounting in Serie A football has resulted in Massimo Moratti, president of Inter Milan, and Adriano Galliani, vice president of AC Milan, being placed under investigation by an Italian magistrate.

Milan public prosecutor Carlo Nocerino plans to summon both men and question them about possible balance sheet irregularities, a judicial source told Reuters.

According to the source, Nocerino is investigating whether the clubs manipulated its balance sheets by inflating the cost of players it bought and sold.

In Italy, being placed under investigation does not indicate guilt and does not mean criminal charges will be filed.

Inter Milan would not comment on the news, although previously it said it was confident it would be able to refute any claims of financial irregularity. AC Milan has also insisted its books are correct.

Milan's public prosecutor questioned whether Inter Milan would have passed the financial tests necessary to take part in the 2004-05 Serie A season without improperly adjusting its accounts.

Nocerino plans to hand the findings over to the Italian Football Federation, which would then decide whether to open its own investigation, according to the source.

Last September, the president of AS Roma, Franco Sensi, and the former president of Lazio, Sergio Cragnotti, were accused of false accounting and called to stand trial but both of them denied the accusations.

There are also current investigations into false accounting in Italian football in Genoa and Turin.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.