Ekhbary News Agency
Barcelona — A Barcelona judge has denied Real Madrid's plea to extend the investigation into payments made by FC Barcelona to former referees' committee vice-president José María Enríquez Negreira. Despite the rejection, the inquiry remains open, with two key testimonies scheduled for November.
Court Dismisses Extension Request
The head of Barcelona's Instruction Court Number 1, in a ruling accessed by EFE, dismissed Real Madrid's request, which the Public Prosecutor's Office had supported. The six-month extension, sought for a case whose previous term expired on September 1, was deemed unnecessary by the magistrate. Payments totaling 7.3 million euros from Barcelona to Negreira and his son, Javier, between 2001 and 2018 are under scrutiny.
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Ongoing Legal Scrutiny
The judge, in her August 10 decision, argued that the upcoming November testimonies from former Barça B player and coach Gerard López and the team's delegate, Antonio A., were already agreed upon before the last extension ended. Furthermore, the court saw no need to prolong the investigation while awaiting a decision from the Audiencia de Barcelona regarding other investigative actions requested by Real Madrid, which the magistrate had initially denied. Real Madrid had initially pushed for the extension on July 14, citing the Guardia Civil's "detailed investigation" as revealing "consolidated elements and evidence" of "continuous sports corruption." As it stands, the legal proceedings continue to unfold.
