The former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees, José María Enríquez Negreira, He has taken advantage of his right not to testify at his appearance as an investigator in the Court of Instruction number 1 of Barcelona. In this way, the parties that have appeared have not been able to hear the explanations that The accused could give over 7.5 million euros that Barça paid to its companies between 2001 and 2018.
The court summoned Enríquez Negreira as a defendant after receiving the report from the forensic experts who have examined the former referee leader in which it is stated that he suffers from Alzheimer’s but that does not incapacitate him to testify. His lawyer had presented medical documents indicating that he had this disease. However, in his appearance this Tuesday he did not allege any medical impediment and simply refused to testify.
Judge Joaquin Aguirre considers that Enríquez Negreira received payments from FC Barcelona allegedly for the position held by the former referee in the body that regulates arbitration in football and presumably to benefit the Barça club.
Also accused in this case are the former presidents of Barça Sandro Rosell, Josep Maria Bartomeu and the current president, Joan Laporta, as well as two former directors of the entity. The court also investigates to the son of Enriquez Negreira, Javier, who also received money from the club. Specifically, he accuses them of the crimes of bribery, corruption in sports, and document falsification, among others.
The court considers that there could be “systemic corruption” in the Technical Committee of Referees due to Barça’s payments to the Enríquez, since it considers that they could have exerted a “possible influence” on the rest of the referees.
The former referee’s appearance barely lasted a few minutes. Now, The court must order new investigation proceedings such as summoning former Barça presidents to testify.
2024-03-19 10:05:15
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