Barca confirm police search at club offices, arrests made
BARCELONA: Barcelona confirmed on Monday police raided the club’s offices as part of an investigation into the hiring of a company to improve the image of former president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Several arrests were made, Catalan regional police said, just six days ahead of the club’s new presidential elections on Sunday. Spain’s Cadena Ser radio said one of those arrested was Bartomeu, who resigned in October, along with CEO Oscar Grau and the club’s head of legal services Roma Gomez Ponti.
But Barcelona refused to comment on arrests while the police would not confirm names, saying only that “arrests are taking place” and adding that the operation was being run by officers from the financial crimes unit.
Barcelona said the operation is linked to last year’s investigation into the ‘Barcagate’ scandal, in which the club was accused of covering up payments to a company called I3 Ventures, hired to boost the image of then-president Bartomeu on social media.
Part of the campaign included criticising current and former players, like Lionel Messi, Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez. Messi described the controversy as “strange” in an interview with newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
Cadena Ser claimed Barca paid I3 Ventures an inflated fee and put payments through in smaller, separate amounts to avoid the club’s financial controls. Emili Rousaud, who resigned as Barcelona vice-president in March last year, said in an interview with RAC1: “If the auditors tell us the cost of these services is €100,000 and we have paid one million, it means someone has had their hand in the till.” The club took legal action against him. Rousaud was among six Barca executives to leave their posts, with a joint letter citing the controversy as a key issue needing to be resolved.
Bartomeu said the company had been hired only to monitor posts on social media and announced an internal audit by Pricewaterhousecoopers, which cleared the club of financial corruption in July.
Bartomeu resigned in October, avoiding a vote of no confidence triggered after more than 20,000 club members signed a petition against him.
His departure came the same month Barcelona announced losses of €97 million ($114m) for last season and debts that had more than doubled to €488 million.
As well as a series of political blunders, Bartomeu had also overseen a dramatic decline in performances on the pitch and a personal falling-out with Messi, who tried to leave for free last summer.
Messi accused the club of “always juggling everything and plugging gaps” under Bartomeu’s leadership.
Bartomeu’s successor is due to be elected on Sunday, when club members will choose between the final three candidates, Joan Laporta, Toni Freixa and Victor Font.