Spanish police have increased the amount that former Referees Committee (CTA) Vice-President Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira received from Barcelona between 2001 and 2018 to €8.4m, following further investigation. Negreira and Barcelona, as well as Presidents Sandro Rosell, Josep Maria Bartomeu and Joan Laporta, are under investigation for alleged bribery, sporting corruption and falsification of documents.
The previous figures were estimated at around €7.5m, but La Razon have revealed that further payments found to companies related to Negreira, leading to a total figure of €8,389,599.73 over the course of 17 years. The report filed by the investigating magistrate Joaquin Aguirre says there is a clear indication of an attempt to obtain unjustified financial benefits.
Lionel Messi: "I would love to see Barça winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and also the Champions League again." @mundodeportivo pic.twitter.com/c55M9CXkvg
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Barcelona have maintained their innocence throughout, with current President Laporta claiming the payments made to him are for consultancy on refereeing performances over that period. The 162-page report says that of that €8.4m figure, they have been unable to trace the destination of €3.2m.
The investigation has already been ongoing for 18 months, and seems set to drag on for some time yet, given it is currently at the pre-trial stage. A number of La Liga sides have applied to be included in the case as victims of the incident, including Real Madrid and Sevilla, with whom relations have become strained.