Appeals Against 'Negreira Case' Investigation Extension Dismissed

The Provincial Court of Barcelona dismissed on Monday the appeals against the February 26 decision by the Barcelona Court of Instruction No. 1, which agreed to extend the investigation of the 'Negreira case', as reported by IUSPORT.

This request was made by former Barcelona executive and former president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD) Albert Soler; Barcelona itself and its former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell; former Barcelona executive Òscar Grau; and former Catalan referee Xavier Estrada Fernández.

On February 26, Alejandra Gil, the head of the Barcelona Court of Instruction No. 1, agreed to extend the investigation of the case for six months, starting from March 1, 2025, and to summon the accused for questioning.

The main investigation concerns alleged payments by Barcelona to the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), José María Enríquez Negreira. In addition to alleged bribery, potential offenses of disloyal administration and document falsification are also being investigated.

According to the Provincial Court of Barcelona, the initially contested decision is "brief in its reasoning, but clearly states the reason for extending the investigation of the current case." "The investigation could be prolonged because, despite being ordered, the statements of the accused have not been taken, except for one - Enríquez Negreira - whose outcome may necessitate further actions such as money tracking or witness testimonies from individuals who could corroborate, for instance, the version of events provided by the accused who have not testified."

"Consequently, it is appropriate to set a new maximum deadline for the completion of the current investigation, for another six months, starting from the end of the current period," it stated. "In sum, the Court says, the essential requirement of Article 324.1 of the Criminal Procedure Act is met, which demands that the investigator outlines the specific actions that need to be carried out and their relevance to the investigation," it noted.

"The necessity of conducting the statements of the accused, which despite being ordered have not been conducted, has been justified, with the consequent impossibility of concluding the investigation and their relevance to the investigation," it concluded.