Romanian football officials jailed for tax evasion

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -A Bucharest court has handed prison sentences to eight Romanian football officials for tax evasion and money laundering in connection with the transfer of 12 players over a six-year period.

The court on Monday sentenced Rapid Bucharest chairman George Copos to five years in prison, Dinamo Bucharest executive chairman Cristi Borcea to seven years and agents Ioan Becali and Victor Becali to eight and seven years. The sentences can be appealed.

The case involves players who were transferred from Dinamo, Rapid, Otelul Galati and Gloria Bistrita to foreign clubs from 1999 to 2005.

Prosecutors said the state lost ?1.7 million ($2.16 million) in revenue and tax and the clubs lost ?10 million ($12.8 million) because the officials did not register the real sums of the transfers in the books.