Spain's Soccer Federation raided in referee bribery case
Spains soccer federation has been raided by police as investigations continue into what a Barcelona court is calling "possible systemic corruption" within the Spanish refereeing committee. - REUTERS
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00:00 Police searched the offices of the Spanish Refereeing Committee inside the Soccer Federation
00:05 headquarters in Madrid on Thursday.
00:07 It is part of a probe into suspected systemic corruption inside the refereeing committee.
00:13 Prosecutors filed a complaint in March over alleged payments of more than $7.8 million
00:19 over 17 years to firms owned by José MarÃa EnrÃquez Negrera, the vice president of the
00:26 refereeing committee from 1993 to 2018.
00:31 The investigation now also includes Soccer Club Barcelona as a suspect, with rivals Real
00:36 Madrid joining the prosecution as a damaged party.
00:40 Investigating judge JoaquÃn Oguerre López said earlier in September the La Liga champions
00:45 may have benefited from graft.
00:47 The judge added earlier that no evidence has been found so far of Negrera paying referees
00:52 to influence match results.
00:54 Reuters has been unable to reach Negrera.
00:57 The Spanish Soccer Federation was not immediately available for comment.
01:01 Barcelona have denied any wrongdoing, saying in a statement in February an external consultant
01:07 was paid to supply technical reports relating to professional refereeing, which it says
01:12 is commonplace.
01:13 A Barcelona source told Reuters the club will not issue an official statement, adding its
01:19 criminal lawyers "have been preparing for it from day one."
01:23 Spanish soccer is still reeling from sexual abuse allegations against the former head
01:28 of the federation, Luis Rubiales.
01:31 Rubiales kissed World Cup winner Jenny Hemosa on the lips in August, setting off a furor
01:36 that largely overshadowed both the women's team triumph in Sydney and the refereeing
01:41 scandal.
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