George "Gigi" Becali (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈdʒe̯ordʒe beˈkali]; born 25 June 1958) is a Romanian businessman and former politician, mostly known for his ownership of the FCSB football club.
Becali was a Member of the European Parliament between June 2009 and December 2012, and a Member of the Romanian Parliament from December 2012 up until his conviction in May 2013.
Early life[edit]
Becali was born in Vădeni, Brăila County, to an Aromanian family which had been deported to the Bărăgan Plain by the Communist authorities because of their associations with the pre-World War II fascist party Iron Guard.[2]
Entrepreneurship[edit]
Real estate business[edit]
Becali became a millionaire through an exchange of land with the Romanian Army, dubbed by the Romanian press as suspicious, as the Army did not need the land it received and the land he received in exchange was worth much more.
The deal consisted in Becali giving the Army a 21.5-hectare plot in Ștefăneștii de Jos (about 15 km from Bucharest) in exchange for a 20.9-hectare plot in Băneasa-Pipera, in Northern Bucharest.[3] As the real estate prices skyrocketed in the capital, he sold the land to some companies that built residential areas.
In 2007, it was revealed that in 1998, when Becali sent the offer to the Romanian Army, he was not the owner of the property in Ștefăneștii de Jos, buying it only after it was clear that the deal would be signed. Also, the Army was not legally allowed to give away the Pipera plot, because it was claimed by former owners.[4]
The affair was investigated in 2006 by the National Anticorruption Directorate (NAD).[5] In July 2007, the NAD started to investigate a transaction between Becali and the daughter of Defence Minister Victor Babiuc, involving land in Pipera which was sold for US$300 per square meter.[6]
Ownership of FCSB[edit]
Becali joined the General Shareholders' Council of the Steaua București football team at the end of the 1990s, during the presidency of businessman Viorel Păunescu. Step by step, he tried to eliminate other possible candidates and gather all the club's shares. He obtained 51% of the shares on 6 February 2003 and he bought another 15% toward the end of the year 2003.[7]
On October 17, 2005, his entire fortune was impounded by the National Fiscal Authority (ANAF) for debts totaling US$11,000,000. However, Becali sued the ANAF and won the trial, and subsequently the order of seizure was lifted.[8] He was however able to avoid paying the taxes by transferring the assets of Steaua to a newly formed company, AFC Steaua București, allowing the old association to go bankrupt.[9] As of 2007, Becali detains no official link to the club, as he gradually renounced his shares in favour of his nephews.[10]
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