Barcelona have been rocked by the news that former president Joan Laporta has been reported to the Spanish authorities after allegations of money laundering, among other alleged crimes, were made against him.
As per El Periodico (via Sport), a complaint was filed against Laporta in the duty court of the Central Court of Instance of the National Court in Madrid on Friday. As well as the former Barcelona president, who is seeking re-election in next month’s vote, a number of high-ranking directors at the club have been included in the report, such as acting president Rafa Yuste and Elena Fort, who is the former institutional vice-president and head of the management of the Espai Barça project.
38 documents were filed electronically alongside the complaint, which has accused Laporta of money laundering, as well as the alleged “collection of undue commissions”. The claims made relate to a number of deals that Barcelona have negotiated in recent years, such as the new Nike agreement and the construction of the new Spotify Camp Nou.
The report has revealed that the complaint was submitted by a Barcelona member, also known as a Socio, although the person in question has not been revealed to the public. As well as the aforementioned Nike and Spotify Camp Nou cases, allegations of wrongdoing have also been made in the agreements to sell Barca Vision, as well as the deal that saw New Era Visionary Group (NEVG) become the club’s strategic telecommunications partner.
Decision will soon be made as to whether case is opened
The complaint is now with the National Court, who must proceed to distribute this complaint among the judges in the judicial body. Whoever is selected will determine whether there is a case to be answered, and if so, one will be opened against Laporta. For now, the matter is ongoing.
