Negreira's wife faces charges for illicit funds in Barcelona case

A sum of $3.3 million found in the Barcelona case reportedly leads to accusations of money laundering against Negreira’s wife.

The Negreira case has cast a long shadow over Barcelona, with accusations of sporting corruption dominating headlines throughout 2024. The case revolves around alleged payments made by the club to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA); raising serious questions about the integrity of Spanish soccer.

Despite ongoing investigations and a complex legal battle, Barcelona have recently secured a small yet significant victory; especially in their effort to clear their name.

The Negreira case first came to light last year when news broke of Barcelona’s alleged financial relationship with the former referees’ chief.

The Spanish authorities quickly launched an investigation, which has since been a persistent undercurrent in Spain.

The case centers on allegations that the Blaugrana made payments to Negreira’s companies over 20 years for supposed consultancy services.

These payments, amounting to a staggering $8-9 million, have raised suspicions of sporting corruption. Thus, investigators have been probing whether these funds were used to influence refereeing decisions in favor of the Spaniards.

Mixed victory for Barcelona

In a recent development, Barcelona achieved a partial victory in its legal battle. The court magistrate overseeing the case exonerated current club president Joan Laporta from any criminal liability during his first tenure as president.

This decision means that Barcelona will not face trial for bribery, a charge that had been looming over the club. The magistrate ruled that Negreira, in his role at the CTA, was not a public official; it is a crucial detail that led to the dismissal of the bribery charge.

However, this ruling does not mark the end of the Negreira case. While the bribery charge has been dropped, Barca remain under investigation for sporting corruption.

The case continues to evolve, with new allegations and details emerging; particularly as investigators dig deeper into the financial transactions involving Negreira and his affiliates.

One of the most troubling aspects of this case is the apparent lack of documentation to justify the club’s payments.

The authorities have searched high and low. However, they have not found any consultant papers that may explain the huge amounts that Barcelona paid over two decades.

This absence of evidence has only fueled suspicions that these payments were not for legitimate services but rather for improper influence over refereeing decisions.

José María Enríquez Negreira himself has remained tight-lipped, choosing not to comment on the questions posed by investigators. His silence, combined with the lack of concrete evidence, has left many questions unanswered; the case continues to hang over Barcelona like a dark cloud.

Focus shifts to Negreira’s wife

As the investigation progresses, attention has now shifted to Ana Paula Rufas Lopez, the wife of Negreira, as per Diario AS.

Court Magistrate Joaquin Aguirre has accused Rufas of money laundering, adding a new layer of complexity to the case. Investigators have discovered that nearly $3.3 million passed through Rufas’s accounts during the same period that Barcelona were allegedly making payments to her husband’s companies.

The police have scrutinized the accounts of Dasnil and Nilsad, uncovering that between 2011 and 2018, Rufas received $167,000 as a salary.

However, an additional $3 million remains unexplained, with investigators labeling it as “unjustified income.” The court is now focused on tracing the origin of these funds, as they may provide crucial evidence in the broader investigation into sporting corruption.

Photo credits: IMAGO / NurPhoto : IMAGO / NurPhoto.