The Spanish High Court in Barcelona "has made the decision to suspend the trial against Barcelona and the club's former and current presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu," according to Luis F. Rojo of MARCA. The judge has accepted the appeals made by the defendants and "has called on the public prosecution office and State Legal Service to present new arguments." This means that the trial "is currently suspended and whether it is reopened will depend on the evidence presented by the defendants." The current status of the case also means that the club, Rosell and Bartomeu are "no longer legally considered as defendants, they are now simply under investigation" (MARCA, 3/10). GOAL's Joe Wright reported the club "has also been cleared of tax offenses in the same case after its appeals to a Barcelona provincial court were upheld." Prosecutors had called for prison sentences to be handed out to Bartomeu and Rosell and a "significant fine levied against the club as a result of the alleged defrauding of public finances." For the case to be re-opened, prosecutors "must submit fresh evidence and bring new charges." A separate case involving a complaint from DIS investment group, which says it was damaged by Barça's "refusal to divulge the true amount paid to secure Neymar's transfer from Santos, is ongoing" (GOAL, 3/11).
