Agents from the Central Area for Economic Crimes of the Mossos d’Esquadra have searched this Monday the offices of the Barcelona Football Club in the framework of their investigation into the ‘Barçagate’ case, police sources have informed Efe. The operation has resulted in the arrest of the former president of Barça, . The former director of the presidency area, Jaume Masferrer, the current general director of the club, Óscar Grau, and the head of the club’s legal services, Román Gómez Ponti, have also been arrested.
In the ‘Barçagate’ case, it is being investigated whether a company hired by the Barça club carried out a smear campaign on the social networks of players and entities contrary to Bartomeu’s directive. The investigation began with the payment of one million euros from FC Barcelona to the company i3 Ventures -in five payments of 198,000 euros to allegedly bypass the internal control of the club- to monitor social networks.
Some of the supposed accounts controlled by the company hired by the club were dedicated to criticizing team players, such as Leo Messi or Gerard Piqué or former presidents such as Joan Laporta, now a candidate for the club’s presidency along with the also affected Víctor Font, and Toni Freixa.
As a result of this case, several executives, including the then vice president and who was considered a future ‘presidential candidate’, Emili Rousaud, resigned from the Board of Directors as they were against the decisions made by the then president Bartomeu, now resigned along with the rest of board.
In a police device, agents from the Central Area of Economic Crimes of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Catalan regional police have broken into the offices of the Barcelona club this morning seeking information on the case. In July 2020, the Catalan police already entered the club’s offices to carry out searches in this case.
In the preliminary investigations, the Mossos d’Esquadra found indications of possible unfair administration and/or corruption between individuals. This judicial investigation, which stems from a complaint by the Barcelona opinion group ‘Dignitat Blaugrana’, is still under summary secrecy, which has been extended six times by the investigating court number 13 of the Barcelona Court. The last extension ends on March 10.
The police operation is carried out just in the week in which next Sunday, March 7, the elections for the presidency of FC Barcelona are scheduled after a motion of no confidence was forced.
Hours after learning of the police operation, Barça has issued a statement in which it shows its “respect” for the legal proceedings and in which it ensures that it has provided “full cooperation” to the agents who have appeared at the club’s offices.
?? Communiqué of the FC Barcelona
– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es)
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