Investigation Reopened Against Laporta and Yuste for Alleged Fraud
The Barcelona Court has ordered the reopening of the investigation against Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, and Rafael Yuste, vice president, after admitting a lawsuit filed by an investor. The plaintiff alleges to have lost 100,000 euros in projects linked to both directors.
This judicial decision reverses the previous case filing and obliges new proceedings to determine if the complainant was a victim of a possible “criminalized business”.
The complainant, represented by lawyer Pepe Oriola, also directs accusations against Xavier Sala i Martín, former director of the club, and against the former director of TV3 and former owner of CF Reus Deportiu. In addition, she claims responsibilities from the companies in which she invested.
This case is added to three previous complaints related to investments in the company CSSB Limited, based in Hong Kong, where Laporta already testified as investigated in January.
Initially, the now-reopened lawsuit was dismissed in June, as the Prosecutor’s Office considered that there were no clear indications of deception, attributing the failure of the investment to poor management and breach of contractual agreements.
However, the Court considers that the previous files were produced without exhausting the necessary diligence, calling these decisions “premature”.
Possible indications of crime
The court points out that the complaint describes facts that could have “criminal significance”, highlighting:
- Lack of precise information about the actual destination of the funds.
- Use of companies with serious economic problems to channel the investment.
- Raising capital based on the public reputation of those involved.
- Promises of business solvency that did not match reality.
- Agreements presented as participations or participatory loans that, in practice, functioned as simple loans.
According to the court, these elements could exceed the scope of civil law and point towards behaviors consistent with fraud or fraudulent administration.
The cause will return to instruction to complete the investigation and determine if the facts warrant a formal prosecution of those involved.
