Police operation at the headquarters of Spanish football! Officers searched for documents linked to Barcelona’s corruption scandal

Spanish police searched the offices of the referees’ commission at the national football federation’s headquarters on Thursday morning for documentation related to the Negreiro case. The police carried out the action with the approval of Judge Joaquín Aguirre.

In March this year, the Public Prosecutor’s Office charged the Catalan big club with serious offences, namely influencing referees, embezzlement and falsifying documents.

Thus, as part of the case called Negreira, the police searched the offices of the referees’ commission at the national football federation’s headquarters on Thursday morning, and as confirmed by MARCA, the whole operation was aimed at finding documents related to the aforementioned case.

It should be added, the police action was carried out on the basis of a search warrant approved by Judge Joauín Aguirre, president of the investigating court.

As the Spanish newspaper also reports, the officers’ action surprised the Committee’s staff, who were beginning a normal working day.

🔴 El FC Barcelona, imputado por cohecho por el juez del 'caso Negreira'

➡ Josep Maria Bartomeu, Sandro Rosell, José María Enríquez Negreira y su hijo han sido igualmente imputados por el juez Joaquín Aguirre, según anuncia 'El Debate' https://t.co/pFBzAbE3tG

— MARCA (@marca) September 28, 2023

MARCA then adds in its next article that the accused in the Negreira case include former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell.

They were alleged to have transferred up to €7.5 million between 2001 and 2018 to the account of a company belonging to the then vice-president of the Commission of Referees, José María Enríquez. And this is what constitutes the offence known as bribery.

The newspaper El Confidencial describes it even more specifically. “Bribery is a type of crime that does not require proof of bribery of specific persons and that implies more serious penalties than the crime of corruption between individuals, which has been attributed until now”.

Barcelona’s current president Joan Laporta, however, regards it as one of the biggest attacks on the club in its entire history. The audit reportedly showed no wrongdoing.

No arrests are currently expected, however, if other circumstances related to this case are confirmed, the Catalan big club could face even harsher sanctions.

Source: MARCA, El Confidencial