Proteam boss’s property seized for alleged tax evasion

Valmiro Presenzini, the Team Principal of the independent WTCC team Proteam Racing, has had his property seized by the Italian authorities for alleged fraud with ‘several million’ Euro of tax unpaid since 2002. Presenzini denies these allegations.

The Italian newspaper La Nazione reports that Presenzini’s property in Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy has been seized as part of a year-long tax investigation. Presenzini’s lawyer has put forward a case denying any wrong-doing and has appealed against the seizure of his client’s assets.

Presenzini was referred to the Prosecutor’s office for multiple tax offences, having deemed to have set-up a business structure with offices in the Italian provinces of Lazio, Umbria and Marche, reportedly established for the sole purpose of issuing invoices for non-existent transactions, totalling 50 million Euros over the last nine years.

La Nazione also says that Proteam Racing, a team which has competed in the WTCC since its current inception in 2005, has recently been placed in liquidation.

Javier Villa, Mehdi Bennani and Fabio Fabiani drove the team’s three cars in the 2011 season, with Villa in contention for the independents’ crown up until the season finale. The team have also won the independent drivers’ title twice before with Sergio Hérnandez in 2008 and 2010.