The Guardian has uncovered a report that Media Sport International, the company that orchestrated the shock deal bringing Argentine pair Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham United from Sao Paolo club Corinthians, has been investigated in Brazil. MSI is a subsidiary of a secretive offshore investment company with unnamed backers. It was investigated by officials from Brazil’s organized crime taskforce on behalf of the city of Sao Paolo, where Corinthians, the club owned by the group, hails from. The officials alleged that Corinthians was being used as a decoy for a money-laundering operation on behalf of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky. MSI was run by Iranian-born businessman Kia Joorabchian, who flatly denies any involvement in a money-laundering scam or the involvement of Berezovsky in any of the company’s dealings. But he also refuses to reveal the identities of the group’s invisible backers. MSI owns both Mascherano and Tevez; their transfer to West Ham was a highly unusual deal that sees the east London club paying part of the players’ wages but no transfer fee. Since the money-laundering inquiry, Joorabchian left MSI to pursue his own business ventures; he now claims to have no ties to the group. Berezovsky, meanwhile, has also been investigated by Brazilian police, but they weren’t able to tie him to the Brazilian club, MSI or any money laundering scandal. The only evidence police have is reports of meetings between the oligarch, Corinthians officials and MSI. Berezovsky is wanted in Russia on charges of plotting a coup, but has been granted political asylum in the UK, where he lives. The Sao Paolo investigation concluded 18 months ago; it has now been passed to the federal prosecutor’s office, which is now said to be making its own inquiries. After the high profile deal and the unveiling of all the potential players in the sketchy deal, don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last you hear about the business dealings of this mysterious company.