The ex-president of FC Barcelona Josep María Bartomeu has submitted a written statement of allegations to the Barcelona court number 13, which is hearing the case of the so-called ‘Barçagate’ case, in which he denies that he paid journalists during his tenure to defend its management to public opinion.
In pleadings to which EFE has had access, the defense of the former Barca president deplores “the leak” of a report from the Mossos d’Esquadra added to the ‘Barçagate’ summary which states that “some journalists are taking money from the club itself have received “. commissioned by Bartomeu.
In the aforementioned report, the Mossos state that “invoices were falsified to divert money to Bartomeu’s chosen journalists” and that “Bartomeu also directed outside companies to make payments to journalists on several occasions”.
According to the summary of allegations presented by the defense of the former president of Barcelona, the police report “contains only suspicions that do not even amount to mere suspicions, which have not even been verified by the report’s authors.”
In addition, he denounces that “the news has provoked a reaction not only in the media but also on social networks, with damage to privacy, honor and reputation” of Bartomeu.
In this sense, the letter emphasizes that “uncertain facts would be revealed in which (Bartomeu) did not participate and remain in the retina of public opinion as if they were true.”
For this reason, the defense uses the letter to “categorically deny” that Bartomeu “paid any journalist for whatever purpose intended (in the report of) the Mossos d’Esquadra.”
And he specifies: “FC Barcelona, like all football teams in the world with a particular entity, companies, etc., carries out contracts with various communication agencies.”
Finally, the letter asks the judge to “warn the Mossos d’Esquadra, with the necessary warnings, so that they stop this kind of action”, referring to the leaking of part of the summary to the media.
“Unspeakable actions, which have no procedural character and where conversations have taken them out of context, conclusions are drawn that afford even the luxury of being legally qualified, an extreme that corresponds to the parties and not to the acting power under judicial supervision. he adds.
For this reason, Bartomeu’s defense believes that he is “faced with absolute defencelessness” and requests “a full report” in order to defend himself once he has access to all seized material.
In their report, the Mossos d’Esquadra assure that “these are indirect payments that FC Barcelona would pay through external companies (prior transfer to the club) to promote Bartomeu’s digital reputation and attack his rivals”.
In their conclusions, the Mossos believe that these facts can presumably constitute the crimes of unfair governance and corruption between individuals.
Source: El heraldo
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