Judge denies Real Madrid's request for extension in Negreira investigation

The investigation into Barcelona’s payments to former Technical Committee of Referees vice-president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira has taken a new turn after the judge in charge of the case rejected Real Madrid’s plea for an additional six-month extension.

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, the request, which also had the backing of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, was dismissed by the judge at Barcelona’s Investigating Court No. 1.

The report notes that the preliminary investigation was set to expire on September 1, but the case remains open.

This is due to two witness testimonies still scheduled for November, meaning the judicial process will continue despite the refusal to extend the investigation period.

The witnesses include former Barcelona player and reserve-team coach Gerard Lopez, as well as the club’s former reserve-team delegate, Antonio A.

The ruling indicates that the judge does not view the upcoming November hearings as adequate justification for extending the preliminary investigation.

Notably, the case revolves around the €7.3 million Barcelona paid between 2001 and 2018 to Negreira and his son, Javier Enriquez.

Real Madrid had requested that the court extend the investigation by another six months, arguing that the work completed during the preliminary phase warranted keeping the proceedings open.

However, the judge disagreed.

According to the ruling, the two November witness hearings had already been arranged prior to the expiration of the previous extension.

Consequently, the court does not believe the investigation needs to be prolonged simply to accommodate those testimonies.

The judge reasoned that even if the Provincial Court ultimately sides with Real Madrid, the investigative proceedings would not automatically become invalid just because they were conducted after the preliminary investigation period had ended.

Real Madrid’s request for another extension was not motivated by a desire to keep the Negreira case open.

On July 14, the club argued that the Civil Guard’s investigation had yielded substantial findings during the preliminary phase.

Real Madrid described the evidence as “more than sufficient direct and circumstantial evidence of the commission of a continuing offence of corruption in sport.”

The club therefore felt that an additional six months were necessary to allow the investigation to progress and further proceedings to occur.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office supported that request, but the judge ultimately turned it down.

However, this does not imply that the allegations have been resolved.

While the rejection is certainly a setback for Real Madrid’s attempt to extend the preliminary investigation, it would be misleading to suggest that the Negreira case is concluded.

The November witness hearings involving Gerard Lopez and Antonio A. are still pending, while the Barcelona Provincial Court must still decide on the investigative proceedings requested by Real Madrid.

The judge’s ruling simply indicates that these developments do not necessitate the preliminary investigation itself being extended beyond its current deadline.

Source: Madrid Universal