What is Barcagate? That is why Bartholomew was arrested

Mossos désquadraı, Catalan police also arrested Barca Director Oscar Graw, law chief Roman Gomez Ponti and former Chief of Staff Yaume Masferrer as they continued to investigate last year's scandal quite last year Barcagate.

Senior club officials were accused of orchestrating a slander campaign in social media against current staff, including Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola ão, who had been critical of Bartholomew.

While police are not following the alleged internet case, they raided Barcelona Stadium to investigate allegations including corruption and money laundering.

With the details of the alleged slander campaign, the specific legal charges and the response of Barcelona, here is all you need to know about Barcagate.

? Els @mosso Sortint de les offensivees forth @ FCBarceona el marc de la probeació del ♪ BarcaGate.

via @AdriaAlbez

) Seguim information al #QuèThijugues! Pic.twitter. com/ OKerTf968n

) Que T'hie Jugier (@QueThijugues) March 1, 2021

What is Barcagate?

In early 2020, Barcelona's hierarchy was charged with desecration of social media club legends, including former territory Pep Guardilla, Xavi and Carles Puyol, and current stars Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique.

Barca's social media activity was handled by I3 Ventures since 2017/18, and the firm claimed to have raised a joke on Facebook and Twitter to target the so-called enemies of Josep Maria Bartholomew.

It was also claimed that possible presidential candidates Agusti Benedito and Victor Font were targeted.

Bartomeu, along with Oscar Graw, Roman Gomez Ponti and Yaume Masferrer, has denied the allegations with fire both ahead and after resigning as president last October.

After the scandal, six board members resigned and said: “We also need to expose our disappointment with the unfortunate episode on social networks known as the Barcafate, which we learned through the press. ”

Meanwhile, Barcagate has a financial aspect.

After his resignation, former Vice President Emily Roussaud accused a club executive for “having the hand at work”.

It has been claimed that contracts submitted to I3 Ventures have been paid in multiple installments of just below 200,000 euros (173,000 euros) in order to keep them hidden from other club directors and financial controls.

Large accounting signature The PWC was employed by Barcelona to investigate the incident and found there were irregularities with the I3 Ventures contracts, but cleared club chiefs from wrongdoing.

A police investigation has been continuing, however, and Mossos d'Esquadra bet Camp Nou last summer and again today to collect evidence.

What are the legal charges?

The Catalonian police are not believed to be investigating the control allegedly supervised by I3 Ventures.

Instead, Spanish radio “La Cadena SER” claims the arrests were made under suspicion of ill management, corruption among individuals and money laundering” by paying cash in installments to avoid financial controls.

In order to keep the full part of their business with private I3 Ventures, club bosses assumed they issued contracts worth under 200,000 euros to keep them hidden from other leaders.

As such, Mossos d'Esquadra can pursue a case of false accounting and hope to build their evidence with their latest attack on Camp Nou offices.

Barcelona's Answer

The giant La League issued a statement following the arrests of four high profile figures linked to the club and the recent police attack.

The statement says: “linked to the entry and research by the Catalan Police force this morning in Camp Nou's offices by order of the Number 13 Guide Court in Barcelona, which is responsible for the issue of contacting social network monitoring services, FC Barcelona has offered their full co-operation to legal and police authorities to help establish clear evidence that are the subject of the investigation.

“Information and documentation requested by the judicial police force have to do strictly with facts about this case.

“The FC Barcelona expresses its greatest respect for the established judicial process and for the principle of alleged innocence for people affected within the scope of this investigation”, the club in the official communiqué released to the media wrote.

What is expected next?

The new riots that Barcelona is in can hardly come at a worse time.

While Bartholomew resigned last October and the Masferrer contract was later interrupted, Graw and Gomez Ponti are still old members of the club board.

Meanwhile, Barcelona has a debt of 1.1 billion pounds, a significant portion of which must be returned this summer, while their captain Lionel Messi will probably leave for his contract this summer.

Police raid on “Camp Nou” comes less than a week before Barcelona's presidential election, which was postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

In the final vote are Joan Laporta, Victor Font and Tony Freia, each of whom was distanced from Bartholomew during their campaigns.

Laporta is considered top in the election after leading the club even earlier as president between 2003 and 2010.

Responding to Bartholomew's arrest, he said: “is neither good news nor pleasant news for Barça, since this person has been president of FC Barcelona.

“although he did not have a good administration, he has still been president of FC Barcelona and it's news that's not nice for anyone. The truth is, it's shocking news, of course”, was Laporta's words.