Barcelona presidents indicted for tax fraud in Neymar transfer probe
Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu and his predecessor, Sandro Rosell, were indicted by a Spanish judge on Friday for tax fraud and fraudulent administration in an investigation focusing on the signing of forward Neymar, the Associated Press reports.
Investigative magistrate Pablo Ruz accused the squad’s management of lying about what it cost to sign Neymar in 2013, saying they committed “crimes against public tax agency” and were “dishonest” in their management.
Ruz has said that because of Bartomeu's oversight, unpaid taxes exceed $13 million.
No date for a trial has been set.
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Ruz claims that the move to sign Neymar from Santos cost at least $88 million, but Barcelona’s management said the club paid $74 million to sign him. Rosell resigned from his position in January 2014 after a lawsuit accused him of misappropriating funds in the Neymar deal.
Neymar signed a five-year contract with Barcelona to complete his transfer to the club.
Neymar has 17 goals and four assists in 22 games in the Spanish Primera División this season for Barcelona, which leads La Liga by one point over Real Madrid.
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