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Oscar Pistorius in court
Oscar Pistorius at his bail hearing in February. He is due to return to court next month on charges of murdering Reeva Steenkamp. Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty Images
Oscar Pistorius at his bail hearing in February. He is due to return to court next month on charges of murdering Reeva Steenkamp. Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty Images

Oscar Pistorius fined for unpaid taxes

This article is more than 10 years old
Paralympic star's tax affairs investigated after he declared his assets during bail hearing over girlfriend's alleged murder

Oscar Pistorius, the Paralympic star facing a murder charge, was fined for unpaid taxes after being forced to declare his assets during his bail hearing, it was reported on Sunday.

South Africa's City Press newspaper said the tax authorities audited and fined the double-amputee runner "less than one million rand" (£69,169), which he duly paid.

Pistorius's uncle, Arnold Pistorius, gave only a four-word statement in response: "Oscar is tax compliant."

His agent Peet van Zyl, speaking from New York, added: "I am not aware of any of that. As far as I know his taxes were up to date. I didn't see anything from the South African Revenue Service to suggest otherwise."

Pistorius, 26, has admitted shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his luxury home in Pretoria in February, but claims he mistook her for a burglar. He is due back in court next month.

The Paralympian declared in a court affidavit during his application to be freed on bail that he earned around $630,000 (£415,265) a year and owned three houses and a vacant plot in South Africa with a combined value of nearly $1m.

City Press reported that he owns another house in Johannesburg, which he bought for 9.8m rand (£677,856) this year but this was not declared as part of his assets in the affidavit. City Press did not say if that house was bought before or after the killing of Steenkamp at his $500,000-home in a gated community in Pretoria.

Much of Pistorius's income is believed to have come from sponsors Nike and eyewear company Oakley, which suspended their deals after he was charged with murder.

His family has denied previous media reports that he is facing financial ruin because of legal costs, saying in a statement in March that those bills are "under control".

"While the family doesn't deny that Oscar's legal expenses are massive and that he has sold off some of his investments, including his racehorses," the family said. "Oscar will evaluate the cost situation on a day-to-day basis and make decisions as required."

Prosecutors say Pistorius's court hearing on 4 June, the first since his bail proceedings, will probably take less than 10 minutes and the case will be postponed until a date in August when it is hoped police will have finished their investigation.

Last week Van Zyl confirmed that the runner, known as the Blade Runner, will not return to the track this year. "It was always going to be a case of whether Oscar feels mentally ready to return to training, which he doesn't," he said. "He would need at least 12 weeks to get ready for the top level and six weeks of competition.

"He's not mentally and physically ready at this time. It's better that he focuses on the court case. He didn't talk to us about competing at any time."

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