ALSO READ. 1,610,976 euros in black (of which 758,289 never paid): they received secret commissions from regret optant Dejan Veljkovic
ALSO READ.121,000 euros in cash, two Rolexes and HVH shirts: how Herman Van Holsbeeck earned extra on four Veljkovic transfers to Anderlecht
An ex-manager of Anderlecht, two ex-trainers of Club Brugge, twelve other ex-directors or trainers of six other first division teams in our country. The names about whom Dejan Veljkovic has opened a book to the court are not the least.
From the agreement or the memorandum that the regret optant has concluded with the court, approved last week by the indictment chamber in Antwerp, it appears that Veljkovic as a Santa Claus from the Balkans black committees to fifteen trainers, board members, managers and technical directors. This usually happened in the context of transfers, but also with contract extensions or severance payments. For trainers or technical directors, that comes down to stealing from their own club.
According to Veljkovic’s black accounts, it concerns a total of 853,687 euros in secret payments, also known as retrocommissies of kick backs called. Another 757,289 euros was promised, but never paid. That may not have happened because Veljkovic went behind bars in October 2018 and several installments still had to be paid out.
Thierry Steemans, the former financial director of KV Mechelen, is said to have received an illegal commission for at least sixteen transfers. — © BELGA
Also other constructions
Veljkovic’s retro commissions coexisted with the black money schemes he devised to pay certain trainers or players. Retro commissions were meant to reward people who helped make a deal happen. The fifteen in question are no longer working for their club.
The biggest beneficiary was Thierry Steemans, the former financial director of KV Mechelen, where Veljkovic was a ‘home broker’ for many years. He is said to have received an illegal commission for at least sixteen transfers. “It is not because Veljkovic says this, that it is also true”, responds Steemans’ lawyer Joris Van Cauter. “We are going to fight this in every possible way. We asked for a confrontation with Dejan Veljkovic, but it never happened. People prefer to believe the accounts of a criminal.”
The best known names for the general public are those of Herman Van Holsbeeck, ex-manager of Anderlecht, and Georges Leekens and Ivan Leko, ex-trainers of Club Brugge. Van Holsbeeck is accused, among other things, of having received two Rolex watches when Hanni was transferred. Leekens and Leko strongly deny all allegations. Herman Van Holsbeeck says he will defend himself in court.
ALSO READ. How Ivan Leko, as a trainer of Club Brugge (besides) grabbed black commissions on transfers
Ivan Leko, ex-trainer of Club Brugge, strongly denies all allegations. — © ISOSPORT
Sporting directors Olivier Renard (during his period at Standard), Patrick Turcq (then at KV Kortrijk), Luc Devroe (then at Ostend) and Dirk Degraen (then at RC Genk) also collected large sums according to the memorandum. Turcq “falls out of the sky” and denies emphatically. Devroe does not comment. Renard, who is currently working in Canada, could not be reached. Dirk Degraen denies. His lawyer Alex Lemmens previously stated that his client has never earned 50,000 euros on the transfer from Joao Carlos van Genk to Anzhi.
Criminal trial or tax authorities
It is not certain whether the fifteen will also have to defend themselves in court. The statements of regretful optant Veljkovic can only be used as evidence of support. Only when the claim in operation Clean Hands is known will we know who is being referred to a criminal trial or who only receives a tax assessment notice from the tax authorities.
ALSO READ. Dejan Veljkovic: “Georges Leekens received an envelope for the transfer of Ivan Trickovski to Club Brugge”
(phu, bla, me, nta, ppn)
.
