Soccer star fined $100,000 Cdn for failing to declare wife's handbag
Wed Aug 30, 10:13 AM
LANDSHUT, Germany (AP) - Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack was fined 70,000 euros ($99,450 Cdn) Wednesday for failing to declare to Germans customs a handbag he bought for his wife in Dubai.
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The handbag initially cost the German captain 2,000 euros ($2,840 Cdn).
The Germany captain had tax evasion charges dropped and settled with the state court two days before the case was to go to trial.
Ballack's status as one of the world's highest-paid soccer players proved costly as the fine for an infraction in Germany is determined by income.
The court set the original fine at 50,000 euros ($71,030 Cdn) - the maximum allowed under German law - but Ballack appealed against the amount. According to Landshut court president Karl Woerle, that negated his right to negotiate a smaller fine.
Ballack then agreed to pay an extra 20,000 euros ($28,415 Cdn) to settle the matter before it went to court.
Charities will receive 65,000 euros ($92,355 Cdn) and court costs will cover the remaining 5,000 euros ($7,105 Cdn) of Ballack's fine.
Ballack brought back the bag for his wife in January from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, after a training camp with former club Bayern Munich.