Laporta hits back at fraud allegations: 'I never signed any contract'
Barcelona president Joan Laporta denies involvement in alleged €100,000 fraud case, claiming he was merely a witness and not a signatory to the contracts in question.
Barcelona president finds himself in a bit of bother with the law, forced to defend himself against accusations of involvement in an alleged fraud case worth over €100,000.
Laporta’s defence
The Barça supremo has come out swinging after media reports suggested he had signed contracts related to a fraud case currently being investigated by Barcelona’s courts. Laporta recently testified on January 16th, but subsequent reports claimed he had signed documents connected to the complainant.
In response, Laporta has released a statement categorically denying these allegations, making several key points:
- He insists he did not participate in signing any contracts related to the investigation
- Claims he doesn’t even know the complainant
- States he has never been a representative or agent of CSSB Ltd
- Therefore could not have signed any contracts on their behalf or received funds for the company
”Just a witness, guv”
Laporta clarified that in the document referenced in media reports (which he claims he wasn’t previously aware of), his signature appears only as a witness. This means the contract was signed by a CSSB Ltd representative “in his presence” - a standard practice in the jurisdiction where the contract has effect.
Judicial confidence
The Barcelona president expressed complete confidence that the investigation will soon conclude he wasn’t involved in any deception. He pointed out that the judge initially in charge of the investigation had already warned about this when the complaint was filed, refusing to admit it for processing.
This latest drama adds to the ongoing off-pitch sagas that have plagued Barcelona in recent years, with the club’s finances and governance continuing to attract as much attention as events on the pitch.