The forensic doctors who examined José María Enríquez Negreira on March 24 have concluded that he is not fit to stand trial due to the Alzheimer’s disease he suffers from. In a report accessed by La Vanguardia, professionals from the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Catalonia indicate that the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees suffers from a “major mixed-type neurocognitive disorder” which implies “moderate cognitive impairment.”
Read more UEFA revolutionizes international football starting in 2028
The document, which will be sent to the judge investigating FC Barcelona for alleged sports corruption, states that Negreira “does not have the volitional and cognitive capacities to understand the scope of the judicial process.” The forensic experts observe a “worsening” since the last examination conducted in January 2024. They affirm that he suffers from several deficits: “alteration in sustained attention, processing speed, and executive functions, as well as an amnesic pattern with severe temporal contextual disorientation.”
This report, requested by the defense of the former referee, should serve for the judge to exclude Negreira from the case
This report, requested by the defense of the former referee, should serve for the judge to exclude Negreira from the case. The former number two of the CTA already underwent a medical examination in October 2023. His lawyer, Daniel Pérez Esqués, requested the judge investigating the payments from FC Barcelona to the former vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees a new examination to determine if, with the dementia he claims to suffer from, he can face the criminal process. The lawyer presented a report indicating that his client’s condition has worsened since October 2023 and demands that he be removed from the case. On that occasion, the forensic experts determined that he was fit to testify and he was questioned by the previous investigating judge, Joaquín Aguirre. He exercised his right not to answer.
A statement given by Negreira in October 2021 before the Tax Agency triggered the case two years later. He admitted to having received 7.3 million euros from FC Barcelona between 2001 and 2018 so that the referees’ performance “would be neutral” and Barça would not be harmed. The case investigates whether, through those payments, Negreira influenced the referees or if, on the contrary, the money was used to divert funds to third parties.
Read more SpaceX unveils its plans for a mega IPO that will raise 80 billion
Also read
In his statement before the Tax Agency, Negreira assured that he was paid by the club for verbal refereeing advice. “FC Barcelona considered that the team was being harmed and other teams favored. My duty was to give my opinion on the matches regarding refereeing and players. Barça wanted to ensure that no decisions were made against them and that everything was neutral,” he stated. Negreira explained that his contacts were Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell and that he met with them about six times a year.
The tax inspector asked him: “Then, if you only met at most six times a year and there were no written reports, why were the amounts invoiced to DASNIL (Negreira’s company) paid to you?” He replied: “Because that way they were assured that in the refereeing committee there were no decisions against FC Barcelona, that everything was neutral.”
The Negreira case is approaching its final stage and few statements remain, including that of former Barça player and former reserve team coach Gerard López, who praised in several interviews the usefulness of the reports prepared by Negreira’s son, Javier Enríquez, who is also under investigation. The judge will ask the parties if they consider there is enough evidence to send the accused to trial. The case involves the former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, former executives Òscar Grau and Albert Soler, as well as José María Enríquez Negreira and his son.
Read more Government and Generalitat accelerate Catalan self-government to safeguard Illa’s budgets
