Prosecutor wants Josep Bartomeu brought to trial over Neymar transfer
The Fiscalia de la Audiencia Nacional (Spain's High Court) have asked Judge Pablo Ruz to bring proceedings to bring Josep Maria Bartomeu to trial for tax fraud, commited in 2014, relating to the signing of Neymar. The club did not pay €1.9million to the Hacienda.
The Fiscalia has rejected the club's and the president's excuses and now the judge will decide what happens. Barcelona prepared their defence in a meeting last week and expected theat Bartomeu would be left out of the court process.
Prosecutor Jose Perals says there is "no doubt" that Bartomeu "participated in some events with apparent evidence of criminality" and that "substantial payments" had to be "authorised by the club president with his signature". A payment in question is €5m that Barcelona paid in January 2014.
SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
The prosecutor considers that there are enough indications that the club did not pay €1,915,322 to the treasury in order "to reduce the cost of the player's signing", with Bartomeu fully aware of what was happening, and authorising the operation. Barcelona said the cost of the player's signing was €57m but according to Hacienda calculations the club actually paid €94,892,181.
