By Samindra Kunti
January 20 – Former Anderlecht general manager Herman Van Holsbeek (pictured) has been detained by Belgium authorities in an investigation into fraud and corruption centring on agent Christophe Henrotay.
Van Holsbeek is suspected of corruption, fiscal fraud, money laundering and taking part in a criminal enterprise. The case dates back to 2019 when Henrotay was arrested in Monaco, suspected of financial crimes related to transfers involving Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba and Youri Tielemans.
Van Holsbeeck is said to have accrued back dated commissions on transfers. At the time, Van Holsbeeck was detained but released, but the case has come back to haunt him and now stands accused of swindling current Anderlecht owner Marc Coucke. Van Holsbeek had promised €3 million to Henrotay if and when the club would get sold. The pair, Belgian media say, allegedly drew up false contracts to defraud Coucke of €2 million.
Last week, Van Holsbeeck was also named in operation ‘Clean Hands’, the largest investigation into match-fixing and corruption in the history of the Belgian game. He is suspected of forgery and bribery.
Agent Dejan Veljkovic, who opted to collaborate with judicial authorities, claims that Van Holsbeeck received a total of €186,000 in black money from four transfers. The Serbian has also accused him of match-fixing in the crucial Anderlecht vs Club Brugge fixture in the 2017-2018 season.
Van Holsbeeck, general manager at Anderlecht between 2003 and 2018, won eight league titles with the club, but his transfer policies were often controversial.
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