Martell and Gomez Ponti: "Laporta's decision is perplexing"

The head of the legal services department of FC Barcelona, Roman Gomez Ponti, and the lawyer Cristobal Martell, placed in question the decision by former president Joan Laporta of presenting a recourse against the agreement made by the club with the authorities in the 'Neymar case'.

In the press conference explaining the deal with the state, Gomez Ponti was explicit in stating: "It is not possible to intervene in these penal proceedings without looking for the guilt of FC Barcelona, and a further crime (to be assessed)." 

He added: "To try to accuse president Bartomeu and ex-president Rosell, you would be looking for the punishment of Barça in a case that we already managed to set aside" in 2014.

Cristobal Martell commented in respect of this issue: "I will not enter into debate with such illustrious Barcelona supporters as Joan Laporta, who is someone for whom I have esteem. But speaking about the process, it is perplexing, as to accuse the presidents (Bartomeu and Rosell) you must also accuse the club for a case already closed in 2014." 

For Martell, "to ressucitate the process is to go out onto the coals of hell". He also pointed out that according to article 110 of the Law of Criminal Justice, the figures making the accusative recourse "have to appear before the qualification process, so he has arrived late onto the scene, in my opinion."

Regarding whether the pact with the tax authorities and state lawyers could break down, Martell said: "Can the rule of law be broken? This pact is what it is. A third party can come and make another war, but the agreement is what it is."