Redknapp and Mandaric bailed
Redknapp is helping police with their enquiries
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Thursday, 29, Nov 2007 12:07
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp and former owner Milan Mandaric have been bailed by police as part of the investigation into corruption in football.
City of London police have confirmed that four of the five individuals, which also includes Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie, have been released pending further enquiries, while a 30-year-old man remains in custody.
Leicester City chairman Mandaric was detained along with Redknapp and Storrie by officers investigating the case, while the two others are believed to be Rangers midfielder Amdy Faye and agent Willie McKay.
City of London police made five arrests as part of their ongoing investigation into football corruption yesterday but had previously only said that the individuals were men aged 30, 48, 55, 60 and 69.
All five were held on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting.
Although police refused to name the individuals, Portsmouth and Leicester have since confirmed that Redknapp and Storrie were involved.
A club statement reads: "Portsmouth football club can confirm that chief executive Peter Storrie and manager Harry Redknapp have today been asked to help police with their enquiries concerning a matter dating back to 2003.
"This was prior to the new owner taking control of the club at the beginning of 2006."
Pompey's insistence that the incident in question relates to a time when Mandaric was club chairman suggested he was likely to be one of the other men arrested.
Consequently a Leicester City spokesman said: "I can confirm that on Wednesday morning Mr Mandaric was asked to assist City of London police with their enquiries into a matter dating back to 2003 at his former club Portsmouth FC.
"Mr Mandaric made himself readily available and full co-operated with the police enquiry.
"While the investigation remains on-going Mr Mandaric will continue to offer his full and total support to the police and will refrain from making any further public statement at this time."
A spokesman for Pompey said the club is "fully supportive" of Storrie and Redknapp, "who are co-operating fully with the City of London police in this ongoing enquiry".
"Both are playing major roles in the continuing success of Portsmouth football club," the spokesman added.
The arrests are believed to centre around the transfer of Faye from Auxerre to Portsmouth in 2005 and his subsequent move to Newcastle six months later.
Rangers confirmed that one of their players had been arrested in a matter "totally unrelated" to the club but declined to comment further.