Matías Morla, the last representative and agent of Diego Armando Maradona, has reiterated an offer of 150 million pesos to suspend criminal proceedings involving fraud and the management of commercial rights to the “Maradona” brand, according to legal filings from Buenos Aires.
The Settlement Offer and Judicial Review
The proposal submitted to the court outlines a payment structure of 150 million pesos divided into six equal monthly installments of 25 million pesos each. The first installment would be paid within ten business days following the potential approval of a probation agreement, known locally as probation. Lawyers Mauricio D’Alessandro and Rafael Cúneo Libarona presented the terms on behalf of Morla, noting that the attorney would also complete community service at a public welfare institution if the court grants the suspension.
Judge Juan Giúdice Bravo, sitting on the Buenos Aires Oral Criminal Tribunal No. 17, is reviewing whether to accept the probation request or reject it and proceed to a public oral trial. Alongside Morla, other defendants in the case—including Maximiliano Pomargo, Rita Maradona, Claudia Maradona, and Sergio Garmendia—have also requested the suspension of the trial.
Opposition from Maradona’s Heirs
Maradona’s five children—Dalma, Gianinna, Jana, Diego Armando Junior, and Diego Fernando—firmly rejected the financial proposal during a court hearing before Judge Giúdice Bravo. Legal representatives for the heirs labeled the financial offer inadequate and argued that the suspension of the trial should not serve as an escape route from criminal accountability.
Attorneys Alfredo Huber and Diego Mayol, representing Dalma and Gianinna, criticized the proposal during earlier court proceedings, maintaining that the defendants have failed to address the return of brand ownership or shares in Sattvica SA. Representatives for Jana and Diego Armando Junior echoed similar objections during the recent hearings.
The Core Dispute Over Sattvica SA
The criminal case stems from accusations that Morla, Pomargo, and Garmendia maintained control over lucrative commercial assets through Sattvica SA, a company that concentrated the most valuable commercial rights of the late football star’s assets. Prosecutors and plaintiffs argue that the corporate structure effectively prevented the legal heirs from accessing the economic benefits and commercial use of their father’s name and image following his death.
While the representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office did not advance a formal request for trial, citing a private property dispute, the resolution judicial established that provisional elements support the claim that the children were deprived of economic control over key heritage assets.
Next Steps in the Judicial Process
With oral arguments concluded following the recent court session, Judge Giúdice Bravo is scheduled to issue a formal ruling on whether the probation requests will be granted or denied. Whichever decision the tribunal reaches, legal representatives from both the defense and the plaintiff factions retain the right to appeal the ruling to the Court of Cassation.
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