Negreira’s son charged, money laundering added to referee payments probe

Barcelona, Jun 2 (EFE).- A court investigating FC Barcelona’s payments to the former vice president Spain’s refereeing committee, José María Enríquez Negreira, has also charged his son, Javier Enríquez, and has added money laundering to the list of the charges.

Barcelona have been accused of corruption relating to payments the LaLiga club over 17 years made to former referee Negreira.

Barcelona made payments totaling 7.3 million euros to a firm belonging to Enríquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018 in a case that could amount to “continued sporting corruption,” breach of trust and false documentation, prosecutors say, as well as the additional charge of money laundering that was added on Friday.

The club has acknowledged the payments, saying it had received technical reports on refereeing as part of the deal, which Barca insists was above board.

The club, former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, former executive director Oscar Grau and the former director of professional sports Albert Soler, as well as Negreira and his son, are all implicated in the investigation. EFE

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