There is a high possibility that the Camp Nou home team will not be prosecuted in the referee bribery case.
Barcelona may not be prosecuted for allegedly making corrupt payments to an official following developments from Spain’s Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
According to EFE news agency, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office opposes the investigation into allegations that Barcelona bribed Jose Maria Enrique Negreira – former Vice President of the Spanish Arbitration Commission. The office believes that because Negreira is not a public official, his status does not meet the necessary requirements to charge Negreira and Barcelona with bribery.
Marca newspaper said the Barcelona Court must now decide whether to revoke the decision to bring bribery charges against Barca and those in the Negreira case – which occurred last September. This could be a big boost for the Spanish giants or a temporary relief, as they could still face punishment from La Liga, among other leagues.
“The crime of bribery, according to Spanish law, must be tried by a court. There, the act of bribing state officials to achieve personal goals will be punished,” Marca further explained.
According to previous allegations, between 2001 and 2018, Barcelona made 33 payments to a company owned by Negreira, vice president of the Arbitration Technical Committee (CTA). Barcelona has vowed to clear its name in court after being accused of corruption.
The Catalan team explained that they paid Mr. Negreira as a consultant, to provide reports related to referees controlling La Liga matches.
It’s just a matter of waiting to see what happens off the field with Barcelona and those charged in this matter. On the field, Xavi’s Barca travels to Alaves on Saturday night as part of the Spanish National Championship – La Liga.
