Joan Laporta, the President of Barcelona, is facing a formal investigation for suspected bribery in a far-reaching inquiry into activities at Spain’s refereeing committee over two decades. This development came to light through a court document viewed by Reuters on Wednesday.

In March, prosecutors lodged a complaint regarding alleged payments totaling over 7.8 million USD (approximately Rs 64.74 crore) spanning 17 years to companies owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. Negreira served as the vice-president of the Spanish football federation’s refereeing committee from 1993 to 2018.

Joan Laporta, who initiated his second term as Barcelona’s president in 2021, had previously held the position from 2003 to 2010. Follow your favourite La Liga team with attractive football betting odds from Nextbet. 

In a recent development, investigating judge Joaquin Aguirre Lopez suggested that Barcelona might have benefited from illicit activities and, as a result, put the club under investigation for suspected “active bribery.”

Furthermore, Aguirre has named Joan Laporta and “all those who were members of the board of directors of FC Barcelona during his mandate or who had an effective responsibility in decision-making to allegedly make the illicit payments” to Negreira and his son as suspects in the case.

Barcelona, the reigning La Liga champion, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. In February, the club released a statement asserting that it had paid an external consultant who provided “technical reports related to professional refereeing.” They argued that this practice was commonplace among professional football clubs.

In response to the ongoing investigation, Barcelona informed Reuters that its legal department was managing the case.

It is important to note that in Spain, being placed under investigation does not automatically lead to charges, and formal charges cannot be brought until the initial phase of the inquiry is completed. Get the latest updates from the world of football only on Nextbet Sports.