Raggamuffin promoter pleads guilty

Raggamuffin promoter Andrew McManus was back in court earlier this week, to plead guilty "to lying to police in relation to a mysterious suitcase containing $702,000 in cash which police seized from the Sydney's upmarket Hilton Hotel in 2011"reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

"On Tuesday afternoon McManus pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice. This offence attracts a maximum sentence of 14 years' jail.

Previous charges of knowingly participating in a criminal group and attempting to gain a financial advantage by deception by claiming the cash was his were dropped....

....In 2012 McManus told the police that the cash was part of a business deal. Because of problems with the Australian Tax Office, McManus told police that he had arranged for a Mr Hanson, "a very good friend of a friend", to pay US$700,000 to secure a ZZ Top tour but now McManus wanted it back to fund a Lenny Kravitz tour.

"In essence, I delivered back 700 grand I now need to borrow it again. As quickly as possible," he said."

Billboard reports "The impresario, now aged 55, was taken into custody in Melbourne in September 2015 following a joint sting involving the FBI and local Melbourne police into alleged drug trafficking and money laundering." He is due back in court Aug 26 to set his sentencing date.