Barcelona scandal: Judge in Negreira case drops investigation into sporting corruption

Barcelona look set to absolved of sporting corruption, according to the latest reports on the Caso Negreira scandal, following the leak of court document from the investigating magistrate.

According to Sport, who cite Cadena Cope as a source, Judge Joaquin Aguirre has decided to drop the investigation into sporting corruption, due to a lack of evidence. The document recounts that it is not demonstable that Barcelona gained any benefit from paying Referees Committee Vice-President Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira over €7.5m over 17 years on the pitch. Having investigated the bank accounts of the referees, they determined that no direct payments were made.

Instead Aguirre directs the investigation into potential financial crimes, given the amount of money that exited Barcelona over the years, and the amount that Enriquez Negreira withdrew in cash. That amounts to €558k over the time period, and Aguirre signals that Barcelona are still yet to show evidence of the services rendered for the money they paid him. Aguirre asks that the destination of that €558k is located too, as it may have been paid to third parties.

This does not mean Barcelona are out of the woods yet, apart from potentially being involved in a tax fraud case, or potentially finding out that money was illegally taken from the club. Barelona are still facing a bribery charge, which does not require proof of benefit in a sporting sense. It remains to be determined whether Enriquez Negreira is regarded as a public official, upon which the case could hinge, but if in court he is ruled as such, then Barcelona would likely be found guilty.