Portsmouth insist Peter Storrie tax evasion charges are 'a joke'

Portsmouth have described chief executive Peter Storrie's tax evasion charge as "a joke" and have vowed to fight it.

Storrie is accused of concealing a signing-on fee for Amdy Faye by paying it into the midfielder's bank account.

He is due to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on November 16.

But Pompey chiefs have branded the case "a waste of taxpayers' money" and maintain there is no case to answer.

It was alleged that Faye was paid a £250,000 signing-on fee, on which tax and national insurance was not paid.

The charge relates to the transfer of the midfielder from Auxerre to Portsmouth for £1.5m in August 2003.

It alleges Storrie carried out the offence between July 1, 2003 and August 12, 2005.

Mr Storrie vowed to clear his name two weeks ago when he was informed of the decision to prosecute him.

In a statement, Storrie said he was astonished at the decision to charge him and that he had not played a direct role in the deal to sign Faye, according to media reports.

"At the time negotiations to acquire this player were concluded, Mr Storrie was on honeymoon," said a Portsmouth statement.