Enriquez Negreira pleads the fifth after being called to give testimony in Barcelona corruption case

Former Vice-President of the Referees Technical Committee (CTA) Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira has declined to testify in the corruption case linking him to Barcelona. The Blaugrana were found to have paid businesses belonging to Negreira a total of between €7-8m over a period of 17 years, and have been charged with bribery and sporting corruption.

No proof has been found of either yet, but Court Magistrate Joaquin Aguirre called Negreira to testify on Tuesday, and as per MD, the 78-year-old has reserved his right not to give evidence. Previously he had been ruled as an incapable of giving evidence, due to his dimensia. After further tests were carried out though, doctors considered him able to testify, given his dimensia was ‘light’.

Barcelona have strenuously denied charges of bribery or corruption, and the charge of corruption between individuals is also being investigated, which would not be related to his position in the officiating body. Aguirre brought the charges based on insufficient evidence of the services rendered over those 17 years, which Barcelona claim was for consultancy and scouting reports on referees.