LISBON, Portugal -- Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is under criminal investigation in Portugal for suspected tax fraud and money laundering, according to U. Cheap Air Max 270 .S. court documents obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press. Portuguese tax authorities suspect 7.4 million euros ($10.1 million) that was transferred from Portugal to a bank in Miami between 2003 and 2008, when Scolari was coach of Portugals national team, were local income that the Brazilian did not declare. A U.S. district judge last week granted Portugals request for a series of Miami bank accounts to be examined, Florida court documents show. An assistant U.S. attorney was placed in charge of collecting the evidence. Taxe fraud and money laundering together carry a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison in Portugal, and the investigation is an unwelcome distraction for the Brazil coach as his country prepares to host the World Cup. The 65-year-old Scolari denied any wrongdoing after the court documents were first reported Monday by OffshoreAlert, a Florida-based site specializing in fraud investigations. "I have correctly filed all my tax returns. In all the countries where Ive worked, Ive always declared my income," Scolari said in a statement sent to the AP in Sao Paulo late Tuesday. "If anything is wrong, its not my fault. I hope justice gets to the bottom of the facts." Officials at the Portuguese Football Federation, which employed Scolari as national team coach, did not immediately reply to a request for comment. FIFA had no comment on the investigation. FIFAs code of ethics can be applied to conduct "that damages the integrity and reputation of football and in particular to illegal, immoral and unethical behaviour." Sanctions for breaching the code range from a warning to a ban from any football-related activity. Portuguese investigators want to know who were the "real beneficiaries" of numerous payments made into the Miami accounts over the six-year period. The money went to accounts held by Netherlands-based Flamboyant Sports C.V., London-based Chaterella Investors Limited and Taliston Financial Corp., a British Virgin Islands company, according to prosecutors. Those companies owned, at various times, non-exclusive rights to the use of Scolaris name, image and voice, they say. Transfers were also made to Miami accounts in the name of Scolari himself and of his son Leonardo. The investigators suspect Scolari used those companies and bank accounts to hide income from the Portuguese tax authorities. Portuguese investigators sent their initial request for assistance to the U.S. Justice Department in Washington in late 2012. It was not clear why the request was submitted to a judge only last week. The judge endorsed the request last Thursday. The Portuguese attorney generals office acknowledged in an email to the AP that the Department for Criminal Investigation and Prosecution has opened an inquiry into Scolari, but it provided no further details. In Portugal, ongoing investigations are subject to a judicial secrecy law which forbids the release of details of the case. Scolari, who is Brazilian, led his countrys national team to the World Cup title in 2002. He will again coach the Brazilian team at this years World Cup. He has also coached in Japan and the Middle East. He was coach of Premier League club Chelsea between 2008-09. Scolari was Portugals most successful national team coach. He guided the Portuguese to the final of the 2004 European Championship and to the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup. Along the way, he gave Cristiano Ronaldo his national team debut and made him captain. To help pay the salary of a World Cup-winning coach -- and to prevent him from being poached by other clubs and countries which offered him contracts, including England -- the Portuguese federation signed multimillion-dollar sponsorship deals, including with Nike and two Portuguese banks. Scolari, whose salary in Portugal was never made public, appeared in advertising campaigns. Portugals government has set up special investigative teams and increased penalties in an effort to crack down on tax evasion. The country needed a 78 billion euro ($107 billion) bailout in 2011 after high debts pushed it to the brink of bankruptcy. In neighbouring Spain, where authorities have also targeted tax evaders, officials have brought tax fraud charges against Lionel Messi and his club, Barcelona. ------ AP Sports Writers Tales Azzoni in Sao Paulo and Graham Dunbar in Geneva, and Associated Press writers Alan Clendenning in Madrid, Spain, and Curt Anderson in Miami contributed to this report. Nike Air Max Sale . The Raptors general manager has his list of possible draft selections whittled down to a handful ahead of Thursday nights NBA draft in Brooklyn, New York. The Raptors, who have auditioned dozens of players over the past couple of weeks, have the 20th overall pick in the first round, as well as the 37th and 58th picks in the second. Fake Nike Air Max Replica . Spains victory rendered Frances 3-0 win against Finland meaningless as Spain needed just one point to secure passage to Brazil. Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema scored either side of Joona Toivios own-goal as France advanced to the playoff among the eight best second-place finishers.LAS VEGAS, - The UFC is headed back to Montreal in April but welterweight Rory MacDonald will have to wait a little longer for his title shot.UFC president Dana White confirmed Thursday that the Montreal-based MacDonald, who had been in the 170-pound title on-deck circle, will have to watch from the sidelines while newly crowned 170-pound champion (Ruthless) Robbie Lawler meets former title-holder Johny (Bigg Rigg) Hendricks for a third time.Thats whats going to happen, White told reporters. Robbie and Rory just fought (at UFC 167 in November, 2013 when Lawler won a split decision). We just feel like the trilogy makes sense, to do the third fight between these two (Lawler and Hendricks).A source said the Montreal show is expected to be UFC 186 on April 25. The March date that had been expected for Montreal appears to be going to Dallas, which is expected to host UFC 185.Hendricks won a unanimous decision at UFC 171 last March to claim the title vacated by Montreals Georges St-Pierre. Lawler won a rematch at UFC 181 in December, taking the title from Hendricks by split decision.Prior to UFC 181, White said MacDonald would fight the winner for the title with the bout taking place in Canada.Now it appears the 25-year-old MacDonald will have to face another opponent first. Should he win, White said hee would probably get a crack at the champion. Wholesale Nike Air Max From China. pril in Montreal would likely work for MacDonald, who last fought in October when he stopped veteran Tarec (Sponge) Saffiedine in the third round in Halifax. Montreal has been waiting a while for its seventh UFC show.When the UFC announced its 2014 Canadian schedule last January, UFC 181 was slated for Dec. 6 at the Bell Centre. But the Montreal date was later pushed back into 2015.A Sept. 27 Toronto show, slated to be UFC 178, was shifted to Las Vegas.The UFC has announced three to five shows in Canada in 2015 but has yet to flesh out the schedule. Toronto, Montreal and Calgary were identified as target cities for Canada. The UFC didnt say which other Canadian cities might be considered although Hamilton, London, Moncton, Ottawa, St. Johns, Saskatoon and Windsor have all been touted as venues for possible future televised shows.A UFC official said Thursday that the Montreal show is a go, likely in April.The UFC plans 45 fight cards this year: 13 pay-per-view shows and 32 televised Fight Night cards.St. Pierre, meanwhile, remains on hiatus. White said the fighter, who has been rehabbing a knee injury suffered training during a timeout from the sport, had reached out but only to text him a happy New Year.Follow @NeilMDavidson ' ' '
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