David Cardoza and three others face fraud charges linked to a £10m loan for stadium redevelopment in Northampton
Northampton: So, there’s some serious drama going down with the former chairman of Northampton Town FC, David Cardoza. He and three other guys just showed up in court over a £10 million loan for a stadium project. Crazy, right?
In court, David only confirmed who he was and didn’t say much else. The whole thing was super quick, lasting less than five minutes. They didn’t even ask him to plead. His case is now headed to Northampton Crown Court in February.
It turns out this whole mess has been under investigation for about a decade. The police are looking into some dodgy dealings related to that big loan meant for redeveloping Sixfields Stadium.
Along with David, his dad Anthony, and two others are facing charges for conspiracy to commit fraud. They allegedly made false claims to the council about how the loan money would be used. It’s a big deal since it was supposed to go only for the stadium and a hotel.
David was a director at the club for over a decade, but he left court without saying a word to the press. His dad didn’t even show up for the hearing. Seems like they’re keeping quiet for now.
There are also some serious charges about transferring criminal property. David’s in hot water for moving a chunk of money from the club’s account, and Howard Grossman, another guy involved, has his own set of charges for moving money around too.
This whole situation is part of a larger investigation called Operation Tuckhill, which has been digging into the disappearance of £10.75 million that was loaned to the club. It’s been a wild ride with nearly 1,000 witness statements taken since the police started looking into it back in 2015.
After the hearing, the judge told everyone they’d be released on bail, but they’ve got some serious allegations to face in the Crown Court. It’s definitely not over for them yet!
