Ex-Barcelona president Bartomeu arrested: source
Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was first arrested on Monday within a police investigation into last year's 'Barcagate' scandal, a source with understanding of the case told AFP.
Bartomeu, who resigned as president found in October, was among four arrests made just six days prior to the club's new presidential elections on Sunday.
Barcelona's current leader Oscar Grau, mind of legal services Roma Gomez Ponti and Bartomeu's advisor Jaume Masferrer were also arrested by Catalan police, who searched the club's offices on Monday morning.
Grau and Gomez Ponti were released later on Monday but Bartomeu and Masferrer would spend the night time at a cell at a Barcelona law enforcement station before appearing before a judge on Tuesday, Spanish press reported.
Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, said in a statement the arrests were built as part of "a study into alleged crimes linked to real estate and the socio-economic buy" that has "been going in for nearly a year".
Barcelona released a affirmation confirming the operation is linked to previous year's 'Barcagate' controversy, when the club was accused of covering up obligations made to a business called I3 Ventures, hired to improve the photograph of then-president Bartomeu on social media.
Part of the social mass media campaign included criticising current and former players, like Lionel Messi, Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez. Messi defined the controversy as "strange" in an interview with Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
"FC Barcelona have supplied up their complete collaboration to the legal and law enforcement authorities to help make clear facts which are at the mercy of investigation," the golf club said in its declaration.
"The information and documentation requested by the judicial police force relate strictly to the reality in accordance with this case."
Spanish radio station Cadena Ser claimed Barca paid I3 Ventures an inflated cost and put payments through on smaller, separate amounts in order to avoid the club's personal controls.
Emili Rousaud, who resigned as Barcelona vice-president in March this past year, said within an interview with RAC1 at the time: "If the auditors reveal the price of these products and services is 100,000 euros and we've paid one million, it means someone has already established their submit the till." The club took legal action against him.
Rousaud was among 6 Barca executives to leave their posts, with a good joint letter citing the scandal as being a key issue having to be resolved.
- 'Plugging gaps' -
Bartomeu maintained the business had been hired and then monitor posts on sociable press and announced an interior audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which cleared the golf club of financial corruption found in July.
"Let a very important factor be sharp," Bartomeu explained. "To the issue: Have got we commissioned the monitoring of internet sites? The response is yes.
"To the concern: Experience we commissioned to discredit people or institutions through internet sites? The answer is no and we'll take action against those who accuse us of this."
Yet Bartomeu resigned in October, avoiding a vote of very little confidence triggered after more than 20,000 club members signed a petition against him.
His departure came in the same month Barcelona announced losses of 97 million euros ($114 million) for last season and debts that had a lot more than doubled to 488 million euros.
In addition to a series of political blunders, Bartomeu had as well overseen a dramatic decline in performances over the pitch and a personal falling-away with Messi, who tried to leave free of charge last summer.
Messi accused the golf club of "constantly juggling everything and plugging gaps" under Bartomeu's leadership.
Bartomeu's successor is because of come to be elected on Sunday, when club members will select from the final three applicants, Joan Laporta, Toni Freixa and Victor Font.
"In light of happenings that occurred today, we exhibit our value for the authorities and the judiciary, and we defend the presumption of innocence. And we deeply regret these incidents diminish the trustworthiness of the golf club," said Laporta.
"Too many persons want to harm Barca," wrote Freixa on Twitter. "We won't allow it.
