Laporta denounces “alleged economic crimes” in Bartomeu’s management

Joan Laportathe president of Barcelona, ​​has assured that the Forensic, carried out by the Kroll agency, has determined the existence of “presumed economic crimes” in the management of the board of Joseph Maria Bartomeu that have been reported to the Barcelona Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

“Payments have been made without cause, other payments with false cause, other payments have been disproportionate and disloyal conduct towards the club’s administration,” said the leader, accompanied by Edward Romeueconomic vice president of the club, and James Campanerthe lawyer who has supervised the entire investigation.

“We are not policemen or judges. It is the Prosecutor’s Office that must determine if there is criminal conduct in these events,” he stressed. laportawho has explained that he opted to renounce undertaking an action of social responsibility, such as the one carried out Sandro Rosell in 2010 when it happened to him at the end of his first term. “I and some colleagues on my board have suffered it and we have thought that the best thing is for the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate it,” argued the current president, adding, in addition, that they did not want to allocate “the entity’s own resources” to a long judicial process and without guarantees that it would prosper for her benefit.

“Why have we done it? Because we understand that the members have the right to know the actions that led the club to a ruinous situation and because we do not want to be complicit in such a delicate economic and patrimonial situation”, argued Laporta, who has not mentioned Josep Maria Bartomeu at any time during his appearance before the press, held at the Auditori 1899 of the Camp Nou. Nor to any of those possibly responsible “for the alleged crimes” committed.

They are, in principle, the signatories of the contracts on behalf of the club and those who should testify in the event that the different facts can be the subject of investigation and subsequent trial: President Bartomeu, who was the financial director (Pancho Schröder) and the former CEO, Òscar Grau.

“Rude and grotesque” behavior

Campaner clarified in his presentation that “a series of very serious, rude, grotesque behaviors that are not supported from a legal or economic point of view and that offend against the data and objective evidence” have been transferred to the prosecutor’s office. The lawyer signed that the legal complaint is supported, “a naked narrative is not presented.”

Non-reporting observer

“Commissions of up to 33% have been detected to agents when, in reality, they are 5%”, pointed out Campané, who discovered the existence of “companies created expressly to be invoiced to Barcelona”, the lawyer has alleged, some later to the activity for which they had to intervene. He also reported “a contract with a multi-millionaire foreign intermediary” alluding to Andre Cury, whom he did not mention by name either. He was hired as a “technical observer”. “But no report appears in the club’s files during this period,” Laporta de Cury revealed.

The club, in its official statement, has underlined that these are “serious offenses against loyalty in the management that is required of the administrators of a social heritage, without ruling out that they constitute in themselves a solid indication of unjust enrichment that the investigation must disclose.”

For this reason, Barcelona has gone to the Prosecutor’s Office recalling that “when the administration of a social heritage presents management notes that are so evident, the criminal justice system is called upon to investigate and clarify possible distractions, abuses and illicit enrichment”.

A loss of more than 30 million euros

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In that sense, Laporta has been clear. “I’m not going to point the finger at anyone, but whoever signed all of this is the one who had the power to do so. Some operations are in criminal proceedings like the barcagate, with the theme of I3 Ventures. Now the Prosecutor’s Office will determine if they have had criminal conduct or not.”

And Laporta has said that he is not looking for a personal revenge. “I don’t wish harm on anyone, just defend the rights of the club,” said the president, while the head of the Kroll Agency estimated that the economic damage could be more than 30 million euros. “We’re talking about tens of millions. No, I haven’t talked to him. But I’m open to doing it if he wants,” the leader later specified, denying that he had any dialogue with Bartomeu.