Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu and the club "face trial after a judge allowed prosecutors to pursue tax evasion charges" in the '13 signing of Neymar, according to Alex Duff of BLOOMBERG. Pablo Ruz, a judge at Spain’s National Court, gave permission to open a trial for "crimes against the public tax agency" and for "dishonest" management, according to a written ruling. Ruz also said Sandro Rosell, who quit as team president last year, "could stand trial." Prosecutor Jose Perals requested last month that Barcelona, Bartomeu and Rosell go on trial for evading as much as $12.8M of tax in signing Neymar from Brasileiro club Santos. According to Perals, Barcelona and Rosell "failed to withhold income tax" at a rate of 24.75% attributable to a non-resident on payments to Neymar and a Brazilian company controlled by his parents in '11 and '13 (
BLOOMBERG, 3/13).
BARCELONA REACTS: In Madrid, Santi Giménez reported Barcelona released a statement "expressing their full disagreement" with the decision to send the club, Bartomeu and Rosell to "stand trial." Barcelona said in its statement, "On this historic decision, FC Barcelona wishes to make the following statements: First, the Club does not agree with the aforesaid verdict, as indicated by the arguments contained in the documents presented in defence of the said persons, and that basically describe in detail how it is not true that a criminal offence has been committed. Second, in response to the aforesaid verdict, FC Barcelona announces that it shall be appealing against the same, although this announcement must be made notionally, because its representatives have not yet received any formal notification from the Court. Third, it is strange, and breeds uncertainty, that after the Club’s defence should have pressed charges of unsuitability against Judge Ruz yesterday, the judge should settle the case today before the media. ... Fourth, the club shall immediately press charges against the unusual speed with which the procedures are being carried out. ... Finally, FC Barcelona wishes to send out a message of calm to its members and inform them that, if to date it has been especially careful with the ways it has dealt with this unpleasant affair, from now on, and given that the internal dynamics of this difficult affair go beyond the strictly legal sphere, the Club shall be doing everything possible to set matters straight" (AS, 3/13).
