The Barcelona Court this Friday overturned the decision to charge FC Barcelona with the crime of bribery for payments to the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of the Referees (CTA), José Maria Negreira, and suspended the investigation against President Joan Laporta.
The Barcelona Court of Justice, in its ruling, agreed with the opinion of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the defense of those under investigation, including the former presidents of FC Barcelona Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell, and overturned the bribery charge in the so-called Negreira. happening’.
Investigators suspect the club made payments to a company then owned by Jose Maria Negreira, former vice-president of the Spanish CTA, between 2001 and 2018 to influence arbitration decisions.
The investigation centers on payments totaling more than €7.3 million between 1994 and 2018 from the Catalan club to a company owned by a former senior Spanish arbitration official.
“We remain convinced that through the court [a questão] “The absolute innocence of the club can be definitively clarified and proven,” FC Barcelona said in a statement released today.
The Barcelona court ruled that José Maria Negreira did not have the status of an official arbitrator when he was vice-president of the CTA, which explained the dismissal of the charges.
The investigation began in March 2023 after Spanish tax authorities identified tax irregularities committed between 2016 and 2018 by Dasnil 95, a company owned by José Maria Negreira.
FC Barcelona said it paid Dasnil 95 for refereeing advice and reports on referees.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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