Stomil Olsztyn football club former executives charged with transfer fraud

Ryszard S., former president of first division football club Stomil Olsztyn, could face a prison term of up to ten years on charges of fraud. The ex-president, as well as another former executive at the club and its former coach, are charged in relation to two illicit player transfers. One of them took place a year ago, when the team sold its goalkeeper Zbigniew Malkowski to Feyenoord Rotterdam, allegedly for DM550,000. Officially, however, they reported the transfer fee as DM350,000, intending to pay tax on the lesser amount. Furthermore, after paying off a Dutch agent, the team coach, Boguslaw K., brought the DM400,000 balance to Poland in a briefcase and then divided it among himself, the club's other trainers, and the players, all of whom the club owed money to. Among the charges he faces is one of breaking foreign currency regulations, which require that bringing such a large amount of foreign currency into the country be reported. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 1) T.J.