October 18, (THEWILL) – Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, has become the latest figure implicated in an ongoing investigation into alleged bribery payments made by the club to a former refereeing official.
Laporta, who previously served as president from 2003 to 2010, has been charged alongside subsequent presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, over payments totalling €1.6 million made between 2016 and 2018.
Judge Joaquin Aguirre stated there is evidence that Laporta was involved in making “large payments” during his first spell as president. Spanish authorities are investigating whether the payments, made to former refereeing vice-president Enriquez Negreira, were intended to gain preferential treatment from officials.
The payments allegedly started in 2001 and increased annually until Negreira resigned in 2018. As a public official, he could face punishment for bribery going back 15 years. Club officials like Laporta face a 10-year limit due to a shorter statute of limitations.
Aguirre said the payments “produced the arbitration effects desired by FC Barcelona, in such a way that there must have been inequality in the treatment with other teams.” He added this amounted to “systemic corruption” in refereeing, though not every official was necessarily corrupt.
Barcelona are being investigated for “active bribery.” Laporta has not commented publicly since being implicated earlier this week. The club maintains the payments were for technical reports on refereeing.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
