MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish soccer club Barcelona are under formal investigation for suspected bribery in a probe spanning two decades of activities at the country’s refereeing committee, according to a court document seen by Reuters on Thursday.
Investigating judge Joaquin Aguirre Lopez said earlier in September that Barcelona may have benefited from “possible systemic corruption”. In a statement in February, Barcelona denied any wrongdoing.
In March, prosecutors filed a complaint over alleged payments of more than 7.3 million euros ($7.8 million) over 17 years to firms owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who was vice-president of the football federation’s refereeing committee (CTA) from 1993 to 2018.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Inti Landauro)
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