A Barcelona courtroom has agreed to tackle the case regarding purported funds made by FC Barcelona to an organization owned by a senior refereeing official with the goal of manipulating match outcomes.
The regional courtroom mentioned on Wednesday it might examine Barcelona and two of the La Liga membership’s former presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, over the crimes of corruption in sports activities, unfair administration and falsehood in paperwork.
After prosecutors filed the criticism on Friday over alleged funds of greater than 7.3 million euros ($7.75 million) from 2001 to 2018 to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, State Attorney General Alvaro Garcia Ortiz ordered on Tuesday that the case be transferred to anti-corruption prosecutor’s workplace because of the high-profile nature of the allegations that might represent important corruption offenses.
The Spanish authorities and Real Madrid soccer membership mentioned they might be a part of the criticism as quickly because the decide took it on.
Negreira was vp of the refereeing committee of the Spanish Football Association from 1993 to 2018 beneath then-president Victoriano Sanchez Arminio.
Prosecutors allege that beneath a secret settlement and “in exchange for money,” Negreira favored Barcelona “in the decisions taken by referees in the games played by the club, as well as in the results of the competitions.”
Unfortunately, Negreira couldn’t be reached for remark.
A senior Barcelona official mentioned on Friday the membership had anticipated the prosecutors’ criticism and described it as “nothing more than an absolutely preliminary investigative hypothesis.”
The official mentioned the membership would totally cooperate with the investigation and it reiterated that “they have never bought any referee nor have tried to influence any official’s decisions.”
In an announcement final month the soccer membership denied wrongdoing, saying it had paid an exterior advisor who equipped it with “technical reports related to professional refereeing.” It was a typical observe amongst skilled soccer golf equipment, it mentioned.
“I am looking forward to confronting all the scoundrels who are tarnishing our shield,” Barcelona president Joan Laporta instructed an occasion held by the membership with the captains of the completely different Barcelona groups on Monday.
The prosecutors’ criticism focuses on 2.9 million euros paid from 2014 to 2018 and alleges that Barcelona, with the assistance of former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, reached a “confidential verbal agreement” with Negreira.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
