Romania's fiscal authorities have launched an investigation into striker Adrian Mutu's transfer from Dinamo Bucharest to Inter in 1999.

Dinamo said the fee for Romanian international Mutu, who now plays for Juventus, was $2.1 million while Inter said it was six million euros ($7.15 million).

"The tax authorities have asked for documents from the FRF (Romanian FA) in order to investigate the financial details of the deal," FRF official Florin Prunea told Reuters yesterday.

"We have started our own investigation into the case, with possible sporting consequences."

Mutu also played for Verona and Parma before joining Chelsea in August 2003. He signed a five-year deal with Juventus in January 2005 after being sacked by the London club following a positive test for cocaine.

Earlier this month, the FRF started an investigation into the 2003 transfer of striker Florin Bratu from Rapid Bucharest to Galatasaray after local media said $2m of the $2.75m fee was unaccounted for.

An FRF official said the federation's probe aims to discover "whether there is a system in Romanian football to produce so-called black money via international transfers".

"Bratu's case might open Pandora's box in Romanian soccer," leading sports commentator Viorel Tudorache told Reuters.

Local media has been awash with reports of a series of similar cases with around $30 million evaporating after the transfer of more than 40 players abroad in the last 16 years.