EUROPA PRESS | DRAFTING
The former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Luis Rubiales was released late this Wednesday morning after arriving in Spain on a flight from the Dominican Republic and being detained at the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport. , as confirmed by sources in the case.
Rubiales has brought forward his return to Spain, scheduled for April 6, and has landed at Madrid’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport after ten in the morning after having made a trip to the Caribbean country for “work issues”, as he explained. on March 22 in statements to Europa Press.
The aforementioned sources have indicated that Luis Rubiales, investigated for alleged diversion of funds in irregularities associated with contracts during his time at the head of the RFEF, has flown to Madrid on a commercial flight.
Upon his arrival in Barajas, UCO agents boarded him on the plane and then, accompanied by police officers, he boarded an unmarked black official Civil Guard vehicle at the foot of the runway. Rubiales was then transferred to the Madrid airport.
Rubiales’ defense informed the Majadahonda judge Delia Rodrigo that he planned to return to Spain from the Dominican Republic on April 6, alleging that he was “at the full and total disposal” of the Court and that he could “return prior to that.” date if it is deemed necessary and if it is required to do so”.
This Monday, a UCO search took place at his accommodation in Punta Cana by order of the judge, and Luis Rubiales’ mobile phone and a tablet were seized. The Civil Guard operation for possible corruption in the RFEF investigates alleged irregularities in the contracts to play the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
For his part, Rubiales has denied in a preview of the interview that ‘El Objective’ on La Sexta will broadcast this Wednesday that he has received “bites”, ensuring that the money he had in his accounts “is a product” of his work and his ” savings” and denying “the claims that the media have made” about his money.
“I am here today to say that it is a lie that I have hit a home run here (Dominican Republic). That it is a lie that I have a baseball team (…), that I have hit a ball in Cape Verde or that I have land for the construction of hotels in Saudi Arabia,” defended the former president of the RFEF.
On March 22, the judge released Tomás González Cueto, who was an external legal advisor to the RFEF with Luis Rubiales, and Ángel González Segura, in his case related to the company that carried out works at the La Cartuja stadium in Seville.
The investigation with a total of seven detainees was carried out by the UCO for alleged crimes associated with corruption in business, unfair administration and money laundering between 2018 and 2023, when Rubiales was in charge of the RFEF, a position he abandoned when he was disqualified. for the kiss to the player Jennifer Hermoso.
The judge seizes a Mercedes GLB from Rubiales and blocks those investigated from more than 50 accounts
The judge of the Court of First Instance and Instruction number 4 of Majadahonda, Delia Rodrigo, agreed to the seizure of more than 50 bank accounts in the case in which she is investigating possible irregularities in the management of Luis Rubiales at the head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), includes that of a Mercedes owned by the former president of the entity.
This is stated in an order from the judge dated March 19, which is included in the summary of the case to which Europa Press had access, and in which she argues that these embargoes seek to ensure possible pecuniary responsibilities of those investigated derived from the alleged crimes committed. The judge details that this bank blockade does not prevent the payment of current expenses, such as loans or bills.
Of the total accounts seized, three are in the name of Rubiales – who is also blocked from using his vehicle, a white Mercedes GLB -, and up to nine accounts belonging to lawyer Tomás González Cueto. The judge also agrees to the seizure of a Porsche Macán and a Mercedes from the Dismatec company, which would be controlled by Francisco Javier Martín Alcaide, known as Nene.
The court also agrees to prohibit those investigated from disposing of the properties they own, something that represents a real burden on their rights, and lists a total of 28 properties.
Documentation requirement
The judge takes advantage of this same order to require documentation from several law firms, entities and companies, including the Andalusian Tourism Department to deliver everything related to the agreements with the RFEF for the celebration of the Spanish Super Cup for the 2021 season. 2022, for the dispute in that autonomous community of 24 matches of the Spanish soccer teams, and to host the final of the Copa del Rey there in two seasons.
The judge also wants to have on her table the 2021 agreement of the Governing Council of the Junta de Andalucía, which authorized the granting of an exceptional subsidy of 4.9 million euros to the company ‘Estadio de la Cartuja SA’ to adapt that stadium for the UEFA Euro 2020 matches.
