Judge blocks Gerard Piqué’s account in which he still receives payments for the Super Cup – – 2024-04-25 18:21:54

The Majadahonda judge investigating alleged irregularities committed within the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) so that the Spanish Super Cup could be played in Saudi Arabia has agreed to block a bank account belonging to the company of the former FC Barcelona player. Gerard Piqué (Kosmos Football SL) in which he receives funds from a Saudi company as a success bonus payment for holding that tournament there.

It does so after receiving a new report from the Prosecutor’s Office that this embargo was of interest “because it is considered that the development of the investigation can be considered as legally controversial the amounts set as a commission or success fee in favor of the aforementioned entity in the hiring of the Super Cup.”

In the order of Judge Delia Rodrigo, to which Europa Press has had access, it is explained that in this case the facts under investigation could constitute an alleged crime of corruption in business and an alleged crime of unfair administration and money laundering. of capitals. And she adds that since Kosmos Football SL appears to be under investigation, “the precautionary measures requested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office have the required legal coverage.”

To analyze whether the blockade is pertinent, the judge recalls that the purpose of the open investigation is the contract concluded between the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Piqué’s business company and the SELA Company Sport company (owned by the government of Saudi Arabia) to negotiate the holding of the Super Cup competition in Saudi Arabia.

And that under the umbrella of that contract “apparently a series of addendums were formalized to the Super Cup agreements through which the aforementioned company, Kosmos Football SL, was linked as the recipient of a commission in the amount of three million euros per edition (success bonus)”.

He adds that in the account that the Prosecutor’s Office is asking to block, owned by Piqué’s company, “the agreed amounts have been transferred as a success bonus, so by blocking the account the aim is to “The SELA Company Sport entity continues to make the corresponding income, as it has been doing until now, but what is prevented is that the company ‘Kosmos Football SL’ can use the aforementioned amounts.”

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“Necessary for research”
After this, he points out that he believes that in the present case and in accordance with the interests of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, “it is considered necessary and essential for the purposes of this investigation, to agree to block the requested banking product in order to guarantee the eventual civil responsibilities arising from this procedure.”

It should be remembered that Rodrigo has already requested about 15 banks to provide him with information on 96 bank accounts in the name of the former Barcelona Football Club player Gerard Piqué and another 36 of which the former president of the RFEF Luis Rubiales is the owner.

This is stated in another order, in which these proceedings were agreed upon in December 2022, at the request of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard, considering that they were “adequate, useful and necessary for the complete clarification” of the investigation. .