A sum of $3.3 million discovered within the Barcelona case reportedly results in accusations of cash laundering in opposition to Negreira’s spouse.
The Negreira case has forged an extended shadow over Barcelona, with accusations of sporting corruption dominating headlines all through 2024. The case revolves round alleged funds made by the membership to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the previous vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA); elevating severe questions in regards to the integrity of Spanish soccer.
Regardless of ongoing investigations and a fancy authorized battle, Barcelona have just lately secured a small but important victory; particularly of their effort to clear their identify.
The Negreira case first got here to mild final yr when information broke of Barcelona’s alleged monetary relationship with the previous referees’ chief.
The Spanish authorities rapidly launched an investigation, which has since been a persistent undercurrent in Spain.
The case facilities on allegations that the Blaugrana made funds to Negreira’s corporations over 20 years for supposed consultancy providers.
These funds, amounting to a staggering $8-9 million, have raised suspicions of sporting corruption. Thus, investigators have been probing whether or not these funds had been used to affect refereeing choices in favor of the Spaniards.
Combined victory for Barcelona
In a current growth, Barcelona achieved a partial victory in its authorized battle. The court docket Justice of the Peace overseeing the case exonerated present membership president Joan Laporta from any legal legal responsibility throughout his first tenure as president.
This resolution implies that Barcelona won’t face trial for bribery, a cost that had been looming over the membership. The Justice of the Peace dominated that Negreira, in his function on the CTA, was not a public official; it’s a essential element that led to the dismissal of the bribery cost.
Nevertheless, this ruling doesn’t mark the tip of the Negreira case. Whereas the bribery cost has been dropped, Barca stay underneath investigation for sporting corruption.
The case continues to evolve, with new allegations and particulars rising; notably as investigators dig deeper into the monetary transactions involving Negreira and his associates.
One of the vital troubling features of this case is the obvious lack of documentation to justify the membership’s funds.
The authorities have searched excessive and low. Nevertheless, they haven’t discovered any guide papers that will clarify the large quantities that Barcelona paid over 20 years.
This absence of proof has solely fueled suspicions that these funds weren’t for authentic providers however slightly for improper affect over refereeing choices.
José María Enríquez Negreira himself has remained tight-lipped, selecting to not touch upon the questions posed by investigators. His silence, mixed with the shortage of concrete proof, has left many questions unanswered; the case continues to hold over Barcelona like a darkish cloud.
Focus shifts to Negreira’s spouse
Because the investigation progresses, consideration has now shifted to Ana Paula Rufas Lopez, the spouse of Negreira, as per Diario AS.
Courtroom Justice of the Peace Joaquin Aguirre has accused Rufas of cash laundering, including a brand new layer of complexity to the case. Investigators have found that just about $3.3 million handed by means of Rufas’s accounts throughout the identical interval that Barcelona had been allegedly making funds to her husband’s corporations.
The police have scrutinized the accounts of Dasnil and Nilsad, uncovering that between 2011 and 2018, Rufas obtained $167,000 as a wage.
Nevertheless, an extra $3 million stays unexplained, with investigators labeling it as “unjustified earnings.” The court docket is now targeted on tracing the origin of those funds, as they might present essential proof within the broader investigation into sporting corruption.
Picture credit: IMAGO / NurPhoto : IMAGO / NurPhoto
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