Real Madrid's Luka Modric charged with false testimony, faces five years in prison

Zagreb: Croatia’s state attorney has charged Croatia international and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric with giving false testimony in a criminal trial, the attorney’s office in the eastern city of Osijek said on Friday.

The statement did not name Modric, as is a standard practice in Croatia, but said it charged a 32-year old Croatian citizen, citing details from his testimony. Croatian media including state television reported that Modric was charged.

Modric testified last year at the trial of a tax official and three former senior officials from the soccer club Dinamo Zagreb, including its former chief executive Zdravko Mamic, about the dates of signing the annexes to his professional contracts which regulated transfer fees.

The state attorney’s office said last June it was investigating Modric for an alleged false testimony.

Modric testified as a witness at the trial of tax and Dinamo officials on charges that they avoided paying 12.2 million kuna ($2.02 million) in taxes and diverted 116 million kuna from the soccer club.

Modric moved to Tottenham from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008. He joined Real Madrid in 2012.

Modric could not immediately be reached for comment.

Asked for comment, a Real Madrid spokesperson said: “Our official comments are made through our official media channels.”

If convicted, Modric would face a jail term of between six months and five years.