In a major event, the Barcelona High Court overruled the judge’s decision in the ‘Negreira affair’ to accuse FC Barcelona and the directors under investigation with bribery for payments made to the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA).
According to Mundo Deportivo, in an order, the 21st section of the Barcelona Court of Appeal agrees with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the defence and dismisses the bribery charge in the ‘Negreira case’, as FC Barcelona requested.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office declined to investigate FC Barcelona for bribery over payments to José María Enríquez Negreira, citing the latter’s lack of public official position.
Barcelona has maintained that their payments to Negreira were in exchange for technical reports on match officials and scout reports on players.
Club president Joan Laporta even provided documentation of the reports received from Negreira.
Judge Joaquín Aguirre issued an order seven months ago, stating that Barcelona’s payments to Negreira would constitute “bribery”.
However, the Blaugrana swiftly disputed the accusation, and they have now been cleared of all bribery charges.
Barcelona issued a statement.
FC Barcelona issued a statement following the court’s judgment, expressing their happiness with the outcome.
“FCB is pleased with today’s decision by the Barcelona High Court because it verifies the Club’s stance and rules out the notion of the alleged bribery.
“We maintain our conviction that through the courts we will be able to definitively clarify the facts that are the subject of the complaint and prove the Club’s absolute innocence,” according to the statement from Barça.
