League Championship side Leeds United Owner Massimo Cellino "will face another trial for alleged tax evasion in Italy on October 2," according to Phil Hay of the YORKSHIRE EVENING POST. Cellino "is accused of avoiding" around £75,000 ($126,000) of tax due on a second boat -- Lucky 23. At a hearing in Sardinia on Thursday, "Cellino’s trial was scheduled to take place in the first week of October." The 57-year-old "denies the charges against him." His case is due to be ruled upon by judge Sandra Lepore, "the same official who convicted Cellino of tax evasion two months ago" (YORKSHIRE EVENING POST, 5/24). In a separate article, Hay wrote Leeds' absent Chair Salah Nooruddin plans to travel to Yorkshire in two weeks’ time "and step into the conflict which is rapidly developing" between Cellino and minority shareholder Gulf Finance House. The Bahraini bank's spell as owner of Leeds "is under scrutiny again with Cellino’s camp claiming to have uncovered irregularities in United’s finances" and paperwork in the weeks since the Italian bought a 75% stake in the club. Last Sunday, Leeds former Managing Dir David Haigh was arrested in Dubai, accused of "embezzlement, swindling and breach of trust" by GFH, the bank he worked for as recently as February. The 36-year-old has been in custody all week and was "not expected to be released until Monday at the earliest." Sources close to Leeds think the Italian businessman "is positioning himself to renegotiate the price of a buy-out" which committed him to payment of £35M ($59M) (YORKSHIRE EVENING POST, 5/23). INSIDE FUTBOL reported Cellino feels that the fans of his other club, Serie A side Cagliari, "want him to sell the side to a group of American investors." There are two contenders for Cagliari, "a group of American investors and former Inter board member Tommaso Giulini." Cellino met Giulini in England last week "and has been leaning toward accepting his offer after not being convinced by the American group." However, he is now in the U.S. "and is due to meet with the Americans." Cellino said, "The Sardinians want the Americans" (INSIDE FUTBOL, 5/26).
