National Court judge dismisses complaint against Laporta filed by a Barcelona member

The judge of the National Court, Santiago Pedraz, has decided not to admit for processing the complaint filed by a club member against the former president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, and part of the outgoing board of directors, reports Mundo Deportivo.

The complaint against the Barcelona presidential candidate alleged offences including money laundering and improper payments. And it was filed by a Barça socio (club member), Isidro Navarro, late in February.

However, the magistrate has rejected its admission on the grounds that the National Court is not the competent body to investigate the reported facts.

In his ruling, Pedraz refers to case law from the Tribunal Supremo, which establishes that the Audiencia Nacional would only have jurisdiction in a case of this nature if all the alleged offences under investigation had been committed abroad.

As this condition is not met, the judge has ruled out opening proceedings in this court.

Complaint against Laporta rejected by the National Court. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The decision does, however, leave open the possibility for the complainant, Navarro, to file the complaint again before the ordinary courts of Barcelona, which would be the competent bodies to examine the facts should they deem it appropriate.

Laporta, for his part, has been defiant in the face of the complaints, claiming that it is an attempt to try and destabilise his re-election campaign.

“It will not work for them to make false accusations, full of lies, to tarnish an exemplary electoral process like ours,” he said in a recent media interaction.

Laporta reiterated that these accusations are old and suggested that Navarro, who filed the complaint before the National Court, is not acting alone.

“Now we have an individual who is dedicated to muddying the waters, but other people have already been singing the same old tune and telling the same old stories. Not everything goes when it comes to becoming president,” he said.

“This person does not work alone, he has not done it alone. We defend Barça from those who want to control it from 600 kilometres away, as I have said many times before.”