Sunday Oliseh: Nigerian coach accuses Fortuna Sittard of trying to avoid tax

The case between Oliseh and Sittard has gone to the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) tribunal.

It has emerged that Nigerian coach Sunday Oliseh accused his former employers Fortuna Sittard of trying to evade tax.

When Oliseh was suspended by the club in February, he came out to claim that he was taken off from his post because he refused to participate in illegal activities.

Although Sittard had denied the claim, the case has gone to the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) tribunal where it was revealed that Oliseh was allegedly offered ‘black money payment’ by the club.

‘Black money payment’ is a means of paying for a job through a back channel while trying to avoid tax from the government. This act is illegal and punishable in the Netherlands.

 

According to Dutch daily, Nos, Fortuna Sittard offered to pay Oliseh, his assistants and players through this back channel which was rejected by the Nigerian coach.

Fortuna Sittard are however still denying the allegations brought to the tribunal by Oliseh.

Investigations

 

The allegation is also being investigated by the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD).

“For the KNVB, it is not the resignation of the coach but the alleged criminal activities at Fortuna which is the starting point for research,” an investigating officer of the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) is quoted to say in the report.

“For the time being, we have only spoken with Oliseh and, for the sake of the arbitration case and the integrity of the  investigation unit, we have put the further investigation into the arbitration case for the time being.”

Fortuna Sittard’s Football Director, Mustafa Aztopal is also said to be working in the Netherlands with a work permit.

Oliseh is also claiming that he was suspended because they wanted to avoid paying him the huge bonus he was entitled if he takes the club to promotion.

Oliseh who has had an impressive stint as coach of Fortuna Sittard is demanding that he is paid the remainder of his contract which is until 2019.