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      Former Holland star jailed for seven years as he’s found guilty of being behind plot to smuggle over a TON of cocaine

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      FORMER Holland star David Mendes da Silva has been jailed for seven years for his involvement in a cocaine trafficking plot. Mendes da Silva, 40, was sentenced by a court in Rotterdam for importing two batches of cocaine weighing 74 and 105 kilos.
      David Mendes da Silva has been jailed for seven yearsCredit: Getty
      Mendes da Silva played for the Dutch national team on seven ocassionsCredit: Getty
      He was then found guilty of preparing the import of another 1300 kilos of cocaine but was acquitted on suspicion of aiding and abetting the import.
      In addition to aiding the importation of drugs, he was found guilty of selling them.
      Mendes da Silva was also found to have bribed a shipping employee.
      The court heard he paid the worker 100,000 euros (£86,000) – while he received 50,000 euros (£43,000) – to report to the location of the container of drugs.
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      He was altogether found guilty on two counts of bribery and the selling and importing of cocaine, having been arrested last August.
      During his time as a player, Mendes da Silva played for the likes of Sparta Rotterdam, AZ Alkmaar and RB Salzburg.
      He won five trophies including the Eredivisie at AZ and the Greek Cup at Panathinaikos.
      The defensive midfielder’s international career in the Holland national team spanned just two years between 2007 and 2009.
      Most read in Football
      In that time he won seven caps for the Oranje.
      Mendes da Silva hung up his playing boots in 2017 after making just nine appearances for Rotterdam after returning to the club. More

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      Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou breaks silence on billionaire Joe Lewis’ insider trading charges in turbulent pre-season

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      ANGE POSTECOGLOU insists his Spurs revolution will be unaffected despite supremo Joe Lewis surrendering to US authorities over insider trading charges.Lewis faces 19 charges of securities fraud and conspiracy after appearing in a Manhattan courthouse.
      Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou insists Joe Lewis’ charges won’t affect the seasonCredit: EPA
      The billionaire, 86, whose family trust owns Spurs, has been accused of a “brazen” scheme which allegedly saw girlfriends, business assistants, personal pilots and friends net millions of pounds between them.
      But Spurs boss Postecoglou said: “It doesn’t affect me in terms of what I’m trying to do. No one’s said anything like that to me.
      “Tottenham have already said it’s not a club matter.”
      Lewis has been charged with 16 counts of securities fraud — the first 13 of which carry a max of 20 years in prison — plus three counts of conspiracy from 2013 to 2021 when he was Tottenham owner.
      Read More on Football
      Lewis, a Bahamas tax exile, pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released after posting $300million in bail.
      He is due back in court on September 5.
      His lawyer David Zornow said: “The government has made an egregious error in judgment in charging Mr Lewis, a man of impeccable integrity and prodigious accomplishment.
      “Mr Lewis has come to the US voluntarily to answer the ill-conceived charges. We will defend him vigorously in court.”
      Most read in Football
      Londoner Lewis bought a controlling stake in Spurs from Alan Sugar for £22m in 2001.
      But he officially ceded control of the club last year, with Bahamian lawyer Bryan Glinton replacing him as a director, according to Companies House.
      Lewis’ stake in the club — which he held through his ENIC group alongside chairman Daniel Levy — was formally handed to a family trust last year, too.
      Some of his family members remain beneficiaries of the trust. But Prem chiefs will NOT intervene as Lewis gave up his majority stake in the club in October.
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      Lewis faces 19 charges of securities fraud and conspiracyCredit: EPA
      A Tottenham spokesperson said: “This is a legal matter unconnected with the club and, as such, we have no comment.”
      However, the scandal could mean Spurs facing a cut-price takeover offer.
      City insiders suggest the club is valued in excess of £3.5BILLION.
      But, although the club pointed to Lewis’ share disposal nine months ago as proof of his lack of involvement, City insiders believe any would-be buyers from the US or Middle East will now move with low-ball offers nearer the £2.5bn mark.
      Tottenham disclosed the share changes to Companies House in October.
      Read More on The Sun
      New York attorney Damian Williams said: “We allege that for years Joe Lewis abused his access to corporate boardrooms and repeatedly provided inside information to his romantic partners, personal assistants, private pilots and friends.
      “Those folks traded on that inside information and made millions of dollars in the stock market.” More

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      Tottenham billionaire Joe Lewis, 86, pleads NOT GUILTY to insider trading charges and posts staggering £230m bond

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      TOTTENHAM billionaire Joe Lewis has pled not guilty to charges of insider training.The 86-year-old, whose family trust controls a majority of Spurs, surrendered to the US authorities in Manhattan and appeared in court on Wednesday.
      Joe Lewis leaving court in Manhattan on WednesdayCredit: Reuters
      The billionaire has been charged with insider tradingCredit: Reuters
      Lewis’ family trust controls a majority of Tottenham football clubCredit: Reuters
      He entered his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo in Manhattan federal court.
      Prosecutor Nicolas Roos says Lewis would be released on a 300 million dollar bond secured by his yacht, named the Aviva, and private aircraft.
      Two of Lewis’ pilots, Patrick O’Connor and Bryan Waugh, also pleaded not guilty to related insider trading charges, after being accused of making millions of dollars in illegal profit from Lewis’ tips.
      Their bail was set at 250,000 dollars each.
      READ MORE ON TOTTENHAM
      Lewis was charged with 16 counts of securities fraud and three counts of conspiracy, for alleged crimes spanning from 2013 to 2021, and could theoretically face decades in prison.
      O’Connor and Waugh, who are residents of New York and Virginia, respectively, each face seven counts of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy.
      Separately on Wednesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil insider trading case against Lewis, O’Connor, Waugh and Lewis’ former girlfriend Carolyn Carter.
      “None of this was necessary,” Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, said in a statement. “Joe Lewis is a wealthy man.”
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      Prosecutors said that in 2019 Lewis lent each pilot 500,000 dollars [£387,000] and encouraged them to buy stock in oncology company Mirati Therapeutics before it released favourable clinical results.
      O’Connor texted a friend that he thought “the Boss has inside info”, according to the indictment.
      After Mirati announced the positive results, its share price increased 16.7 per cent in one day, and both pilots repaid Lewis for his loans, it is claimed.
      Lewis is a self-made billionaire who was born in London – but rarely spends time in the UK.
      He is worth £4.7m, according to Forbes magazine.
      As per the Forbes rich list, he has an estimated fortune of a whopping £4.3billion.
      Lewis is the founder and primary investor of Bahamas-based investment firm Tavistock Group.
      He bought a controlling stake in the Premier League club from Lord Sugar in 2001 for £22million.
      Lewis officially ceded control of the club last year, with Bahamian lawyer Bryan A Glinton replacing him as a director according to Companies House.
      His stake in the club – which he held through the ENIC Group alongside Daniel Levy – was formally handed to a family trust last year.
      Family members of Lewis remain beneficiaries of the trust.
      Read More on The Sun
      It is understood the Premier League does not consider Lewis as a person with control at Tottenham, and therefore not subject to its owners’ and directors’ test.
      A Tottenham club spokesman said: “This is a legal matter unconnected with the club and as such we have no comment.” More

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      Tottenham billionaire Joe Lewis surrenders to US police over ‘brazen insider trading scheme’

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      TOTTENHAM billionaire Joe Lewis has surrendered to the US authorities in Manhattan.He is expected to appear in court later on Wednesday to face charges of insider trading.
      Joe Lewis in the stands at a Tottenham game
      US Attorney Damian Williams has accused the Spurs chief of “classic corporate corruption” by orchestrating a “brazen” insider trading scheme.
      He claims the British billionaire shared confidential information with his romantic partners, personal assistants, private pilots and pals.
      The tips enabled Lewis’ associates to reap millions of dollars in profit, prosecutors said.
      Mr Williams said: “Now, none of this was necessary. Joe Lewis is a wealthy man.
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      “But as we allege, he used inside information as a way to compensate his employees or to shower gifts on his friends and lovers.
      “That’s classic corporate corruption. It’s cheating, and it’s against the law. Laws that apply to everyone, no matter who you are.
      “That’s why Joe Lewis has been indicted and will face justice here in the Southern District of New York.”
      But Lewis’ lawyer David Zornow said prosecutors “made an egregious error” in charging him and said his client had come to the US voluntarily to defend himself against the charges.
      Most read in Football
      Two of Lewis’ pilots, Patrick O’Connor and Bryan Waugh, were also charged with insider trading securities fraud.
      Prosecutors said that in 2019 Lewis lent each pilot $500,000 (£387,000) and encouraged them to buy stock in oncology company Mirati Therapeutics before it released favorable clinical results.
      O’Connor texted a friend that he thought “the Boss has inside info”, according to the indictment.
      After Mirati announced the positive results, its share price increased 16.7 per cent in one day, and both pilots repaid Lewis for his loans, it is claimed.
      Lewis, whose family trust controls a majority of the Tottenham Hotspur football team, is a self-made billionaire who was born in London – but rarely spends time in the UK.
      He is worth $6.1 billion (£4.7million), according to Forbes magazine
      According to the Forbes rich list, he has an estimated fortune of a whopping £4.3billion.
      Lewis is the founder and primary investor of Bahamas-based investment firm Tavistock Group.
      He bought a controlling stake in the Premier League club from Lord Sugar in 2001 for £22million.
      Lewis officially ceded control of the club last year, with Bahamian lawyer Bryan A Glinton replacing him as a director according to Companies House.
      His stake in the club – which he held through the ENIC Group alongside Daniel Levy – was formally handed to a family trust last year.
      Family members of Lewis remain beneficiaries of the trust.
      Read More on The Sun
      It is understood the Premier League does not consider Lewis as a person with control at Tottenham, and therefore not subject to its owners’ and directors’ test.
      A Tottenham club spokesman said: “This is a legal matter unconnected with the club and as such we have no comment.” More

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      in Boxing

      Masked thugs jailed for robbing Amir Khan of £72k diamond watch in dramatic gunpoint raid in front of crying wife

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      MASKED thugs who robbed Amir Khan of his £72,000 diamond watch in a gunpoint raid in front of his crying wife have today been jailed.The boxer, 36, was left terrified as a gunman ran at him and demanded he “take off the watch”.
      Amir Khan has a gun pointed at himCredit: Central News
      The boxer was targeted while out with his wife FaryalCredit: Getty
      Khan had been out for dinner with wife Faryal, 31, and friend Omar Khalid at the Sahara Grill in Leyton, East London, when the robbery took place.
      Dante Campbell, 20, and Ahmed Bana, 26, have now been jailed after admitting conspiracy to rob and possession of an imitation firearm.
      Campbell was given a seven year and nine month sentence while getaway driver Bana was jailed for nine years and eight months.
      Ahmed Bana, Nurul Amin and Ismail Mohammed, all 25, were previously cleared of conspiracy to commit robbery.
      In a victim impact statement, Khan told the court how the robbery affected his life.
      He added: “I am very fearful of going out particularly in London.
      “I avoid coming back to London, which I find sad because it’s where I grew up and spent my life.
      “I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I am very wary of people, even fans and friendly people who approach.
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      “I was previously very friendly. I never said no to a fan who wanted to chat or take a photo.”
      Wife Faryal added: “I keep thinking that we could have been shot.”
      Shocking footage showed the moment Khan was robbed in the packed high street.
      The former world boxing champion could be seen smiling at first as he left the restaurant with his wife.
      He then crosses the road to get in a car driven by Omar when two men get out of a silver Mercedes coupe.
      A hooded man then runs towards Khan and raises his arm to point the gun at the boxer, who hands over his watch.
      The robbers then fled in the Mercedes, which was being driven by Bana.
      Khan previously revealed his horror as he told how he was left staring down the barrel of a gun.
      He said: “I am a sportsman, a fighter, I have been put in the toughest situations but this is something different, this is really really scary.
      “When he put the gun to my face I couldn’t recognise him because he had a mask on. I looked away because I didn’t want him to pull the trigger.
      “I didn’t know what he wanted at first, then he said, ‘Take off your watch’. When he said, ‘Take off your watch’ that’s when he hit me straight away.
      “I took it off straight away and that’s when I handed it to him.”
      Khan also told how Faryal was left “screaming and crying” following the horror.
      He told the court the rose-gold diamond encrusted watch, estimated to be worth £72,000, was given to him after he won a boxing fight.
      In April, Khan revealed the watch had been returned to him as he thanked the Met Police.
      Read More on The Sun
      He also revealed his plans to auction the watch off to “raise funds for the less fortunate”.
      Some of the proceeds will be donated to addressing gun and knife crime in the UK.
      Khan can be seen smiling as he leaves the restaurant moments before the robberyCredit: Central News
      He said his wife was left ‘screaming and crying’Credit: Central News
      His £72k diamond-encrusted watch was taken in the robbery but later returnedCredit: Central News More

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      My son Ryan Giggs is a rat & a womaniser… when I heard about the affair with his brother’s wife I was almost arrested

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      RYAN Giggs’s dad has blasted his own son a womaniser and “rat” – but admits he’s a chip off the old block.Danny Giggs has spoken once to his football icon son in 33 years following a turbulent childhood plagued by Danny’s own unfaithfulness.
      Danny Giggs has blasted his own son a womaniser and ‘rat’Credit: James Davies – The Sun
      Ryan’s dad says he was nearly arrested when he learnt his own son had been having an affair with his brother’s wifeCredit: PA
      Now, the security guard has revealed he was nearly arrested after discovering Ryan was having a long-term affair with his own brother’s wife.
      Speaking to the Daily Mail, the 67-year-old fumed: “The rat. I can’t understand how anyone could do that to his brother.
      “I read about it in a Sunday paper, jumped in my car and zoomed up the M4 towards Manchester. God knows what I’d have done to him but it wouldn’t have been nice.”
      Danny says he was pulled over for speeding twice before a copper told him to take a breather and turn round, which he did.
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      The extraordinary 2011 episode came after The Sun exposed Ryan for his eight year affair with brother Rhodri’s wife Natasha Lever.
      Ryan first met Lever in a Manchester nightclub in March 2003 and the pair spent the night romping in a hotel while Giggs’ pregnant fiancée Stacey Cooke was at home.
      Lever hooked up with Rhodri two months later but continued having sex with Ryan in hotel rooms and vacant properties she had access to through her job as an estate agent.
      The United ace, married to Stacey at the time, was alleged to have got Lever pregnant during their affair.
      Most read in Football
      The 2012 Big Brother contestant later claimed she aborted the baby two weeks before her marriage to Rhodri in Las Vegas.
      Ryan’s dad says his sons antics are unsurprising, with Danny admitting his own partner Dawn is the only woman he has ever been faithful to.
      Despite his own cheating past, Danny blasts his son as having “never been put in his place” and acting the “big-un”.
      “No one has ever challenged him. If I’d been allowed to see him I wouldn’t have let him behave like this”, he added.
      On November 3, 2020, Ryan was arrested on suspicion of two counts of assault against his ex-girlfriend, Kate Greville, and her younger sister, Emma.
      In April 2021, he was charged with assault causing actual bodily harm as well as coercive and controlling behaviour against Kate, and common assault against Emma.
      Giggs denied the charges and a jury were unable to reach a verdict at trial last August.
      He confessed in court that he had never been faithful to ex-wife Stacey, with whom he has two children, Libby, 20, and Zach, 16, or to any of his other girlfriends.
      But on Tuesday, Giggs, 49, was acquitted of all charges two weeks before he was due to face a retrial.
      Reflecting on his son’s acquittal, Danny said that while Ryan is “womaniser” it “doesn’t make him guilty of assault”, adding that he was pleased with the outcome.
      Ryan Giggs made 672 appearances for Manchester United between 1990 and 2014.
      Read More on The Sun
      The former-midfielder is one of only 28 players in football history to have been capped over 1,000 times.
      He managed the Wales national team from 2018-2022 and in 2014 took over League Two side Salford City alongside a raft of Man United legends.
      Giggs was arrested on suspicion of two counts of assault against his ex-girlfriend, Kate Greville, he has been cleared of all chargesCredit: Refer to Caption
      Ryan Giggs made 672 appearances for Manchester United between 1990 and 2014Credit: AP:Associated Press More

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      I was ‘raped’ by Premier League star when I was a teen – he FILMED it & showed pals.. I keep seeing his face on TV

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      A WOMAN has claimed she was raped by a Premier League star as a teen in a bombshell interview.The alleged victim – who has not been named – says she was 19 when the footballer “attacked” her in her own bedroom during a house party eight years ago.
      A woman has claimed she was raped as a teen by a Premier League footballer (stock image)
      The woman said the footballer probably wouldn’t remember her ‘if we walked past each other’
      She told The Daily Mail the footballer, who she had never met before the party, probably wouldn’t remember her “if we walked past each other” – but the memory of that night is seared into her mind.
      The woman says she was “unable to move” during the alleged assault.
      She said: “The next thing I remember is my housemate back at my room, banging on the door, asking, ‘What’s going on?'”
      She claimed the footballer filmed the horrifying attack – and that footage was allegedly already circulating among guests.
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      However, she admits that she has not seen the film herself and does not know if it still exists.
      The woman said she had never met the player before and they have not met since – but she has not reported the attack to the police or her parents.
      She speculated that her drink may have been spiked, but insists she was not just drunk and never consented to the sex, saying there was “no way” she was intoxicated enough to not remember.
      Finally, she alleges that the player – who is now signed to a Prem team – returned to her house in the early hours and banged on the locked door, as well as texting her incessantly.
      Most read in Football
      She is scared of reporting the case given the low prosecution rate for rape, especially so long after the attack allegedly took place, the Mail reports.
      The woman said: “Honestly, why would I consider the police when I know how incredibly difficult it is to even get it through the Crown Prosecution Service?
      “If it gets to court, you are completely annihilated by a lawyer who makes you feel worthless.
      “The system isn’t there to protect victims of sexual violence. What other crimes do you report and you’re instantly accused of lying?”
      And her pain is only deepened by the fact that she sees his face on TV regularly while watching football with her partner.
      She now faces either reliving her experience each time he appears or giving up watching a sport she loves. More

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      Ryan Giggs watches match from the stands in first outing since domestic violence charges dropped

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      STONY-faced Ryan Giggs watches from the stands in his first outing since domestic violence charges against him were dropped.The ex-Wales boss, 49, made a rare public appearance alongside girlfriend Zara Charles as Salford City drew 2-2 with West Brom in a pre-season friendly.
      A stony-face Ryan Giggs watches Salford City draw 2-2 with West Brom in a pre-season friendlyCredit: Rex
      Charges against Giggs were dropped because the victim ‘indicated an unwillingness’ to continueCredit: EPA
      Prosecutors abandoned the star’s retrial after the alleged victim – Giggs’ ex-partner Kate Greville – “indicated an unwillingness” to continue.
      Jurors previously failed to reach a verdict over the allegations last August.
      Giggs is said to be plotting a remarkable football comeback over “unfinished business” with the game.
      A source said: “The last three years his life has been put on hold, but he’s a huge football man.
      READ MORE ON RYAN GIGGS
      “He’s been found not guilty and wants to get back into the game. He’s football through and through.”
      The one-time Man United manager quit his job as Wales coach last year in the wake of the allegations.
      Giggs is a co-owner of League Two outfit Salford alongside ex-United stars David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville & Paul Scholes.
      Giggs, 48, was accused of assaulting Kate Greville at his £1.7million home in Worsley, Greater Manchester, on November 1, 2020.
      Most read in Football
      He was also charged with attacking her sister Emma Greville on the same date and controlling or coercive behaviour against Kate over a three-year period. More