Messigician
Senior Member
Sums up this saga
The Negreira case
- Thread starter Luftstalag14
- Start date
Sums up this saga
ajnotkeith
Senior Member
Because he threatened the club using blackmail unless we didn't keep paying, and no information ended up being released.
Just a theory though, I'm not too sure what would continue to implicate the club to this present day.
We won't know for at least a month why they have done that.
ajnotkeith
Senior Member
There would be 2 major points I think they will be going for :
1- Negreira's 'tasks' in regards to ensuring there weren't any more officials from Madrid judging disciplinary sanctions. This can be seen as an attempt to influence results and the competition, because obviously, the goal is to obtain more favourable decisions for Barcelona and against Madrid when it comes to disciplinary actions, red card suspensions and such.
2- Only the intent must be proved and not the real effect on the pitch. Meaning, even if we did not end up bribing any ref or gaining any advantage from what we paid to him, as long as we intended to cheat and try to gain a fraudulent advantage, we can be charged with this crime.
Negreira's statements about us paying him 'to ensure the neutrality of this competition' are probably tying in with this.
There is another thing to note too that several referees who were active under the time of Negreira have said that he had quite a lot of influence and power, and even that he boasted of being able to control referees and what they did. Equally, there are those who say that the VP of the CTA is just a symbolic role, though.
The third thing, which is probably extremely unlikely to be linked and maybe isn't news at all, is the fact that the judge is looking at this real estate report about these 4 referees and whether it is linked to the Negreira case. 99.9% not but something to keep an eye on as they have sent it for a reason most likely, perhaps it is a seperate corruption case to be investigated.
F1_STK
Member
BREAKING: Former commissioner Maneul Villarejo, who was spying on Rosell & Barca, uncovered a referee scandal in 2012. He sent notes to the police and interior ministry. The investigation was shelved because it also involved Florentino Perez's Real Madrid.
❗ Villarejo informed the government that there was an arbitration scandal involving Real Madrid. Villarejo says no one was interested in pursuing the investigation.
Via: @Cronica_Libre
❗ Villarejo informed the government that there was an arbitration scandal involving Real Madrid. Villarejo says no one was interested in pursuing the investigation.
Via: @Cronica_Libre
Luftstalag14
Culé de Celestial Empire
I don't believe Negreira said the club asked him to exclude officials from Madrid, rather it was "..request that the Competition Committee, responsible for disciplinary sanctions against players, not be composed entirely of Madrid judges", according to MD. That, of course, can be argued as trying to exert some sort of influence, but certainly not as bad as trying to exclude any officials from Madrid. And to my understanding, issuing or determining disciplinary sanctions is not the same as officiating the game in terms of impacting the outcome or result of the games.
The rest I understand and agree with, however, again, the intent has to be proven, not by assuming. The mere fact that Negreira had a lot of influence and power over the referees doesn't necessarily and automatically indicate that they were being pressured or bought to make calls in our favor. It has to be proven with evidence.
CatalinR10
Senior Member
ajnotkeith
Senior Member
COPE - The big question in the case is where did the 7.3 million paid to Negreira go, as bank records and his private property does not suggest he received all of it - The judge accepts the theory that, in the absence of the money going to active referees, of which there is no proof, that part of it probably returned back to club officials who later laundered it.
This is why the crime of money laundering has been added to the charges.
Knowing this, and seeing some of the questions they asked the Negreiras, plus the theory of the Treasury, it seems they believe that club directors for some reason used the Negreiras as a laundering front.
That is to say, that some of the money paid to them may have ended up going back to the likes of Contreras and serving as illegal bonuses. It is possible that those officials stole from the club in this way. It could also be why the investigation has extended to the present day as some of that money may still be being laundered by club officials.
Just why a vice president of the CTA would be used to launder money for club officials is unknown, because it can easily look like sporting corruption on top of money laundering. But that is the angle they seem to be looking through the case at now.
This is why the crime of money laundering has been added to the charges.
Knowing this, and seeing some of the questions they asked the Negreiras, plus the theory of the Treasury, it seems they believe that club directors for some reason used the Negreiras as a laundering front.
That is to say, that some of the money paid to them may have ended up going back to the likes of Contreras and serving as illegal bonuses. It is possible that those officials stole from the club in this way. It could also be why the investigation has extended to the present day as some of that money may still be being laundered by club officials.
Just why a vice president of the CTA would be used to launder money for club officials is unknown, because it can easily look like sporting corruption on top of money laundering. But that is the angle they seem to be looking through the case at now.
DonAK
President of FC Barcelona
I think you got it wrong @ajnotkeith
It seems like the idea of sporting corruption is fading away with this case and it's becoming an embezzlement case instead.
This is what Guardia Civil's working theory is right now which the judge seemingly agreed on. No money going to refs or influencing refs, but money going to Negreira out of the club back to board members/directors and to Negreira himself through him and his son.
It seems like the idea of sporting corruption is fading away with this case and it's becoming an embezzlement case instead.
This is what Guardia Civil's working theory is right now which the judge seemingly agreed on. No money going to refs or influencing refs, but money going to Negreira out of the club back to board members/directors and to Negreira himself through him and his son.
ajnotkeith
Senior Member
It just doesn't really make sense because why launder money with a high ranking CTA official? It can look so much worse than what you're actually doing should it be revealed.
Perhaps Negreira's blackmail was actually to reveal the money laundering of the directors of the club. A thing that would lead to their resignations most likely even if not referee bribing.
Maybe a mix of the two. Negreira was under the payroll but also being a vehicle for Contreras to launder money, or something.
The case is obviously a lot more complex than boiling it down to referee bribes though, for sure.
What is practically certain is that no actual field referees were bribed.
Barcelonista001
New signing
So if its money laundering
Sport wise would we be punished?
Sport wise would we be punished?
Luftstalag14
Culé de Celestial Empire
Interesting development, to say the least. Was Negreira's son, Javier Negreira, a soci in the past? I read that he was connected to the club. Otherwise why would people in the club go through him or his father and his company to "launder money"? It makes sense to find someone who is connected to the club. That said, the notion of "money laundering" makes little sense to me because money laundering, by definition would entail laundering money that was obtained through illegal means. It was the club's money, why would they need to launder it? Embezzlement makes much more sense.
Anyways, if this is what happened, no doubt it would make the club look bad as some of its officials were stealing our own money (however, I found it hard to believe that this scheme lasted 17 years, from 2001 to 2018, that means some people, between multiple presidencies and administrations of the club, were in cahoots together to steal money for this long?), but if it turns out that we did not try to influence the referees at all, it would be a big relief for me at least. I don't see how we as a club should be punished sporting-wise if certain people within the club committed crime to embezzle or steal money from the club. Those individuals and those who abetted and condoned them should be punished severely by the court of law.
Anyways, if this is what happened, no doubt it would make the club look bad as some of its officials were stealing our own money (however, I found it hard to believe that this scheme lasted 17 years, from 2001 to 2018, that means some people, between multiple presidencies and administrations of the club, were in cahoots together to steal money for this long?), but if it turns out that we did not try to influence the referees at all, it would be a big relief for me at least. I don't see how we as a club should be punished sporting-wise if certain people within the club committed crime to embezzle or steal money from the club. Those individuals and those who abetted and condoned them should be punished severely by the court of law.
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Temptation
Well-known member
You know, for the longest time I read this thread title as the Nigeria Case and thought it's got something to do with racism. 
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