Forensic doctors reassess Enríquez Negreira amid dementia claim as probe nears end | OneFootball

Former Referees’ Technical Committee vice-president José María Enríquez Negreira underwent a fresh forensic assessment in Barcelona as the corruption probe nears its end.

The examination took place at the Institut de Medicina Legal i Ciències Forenses de Catalunya in the Ciutat de la Justícia.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, he requested it as his defence argues cognitive decline that prevents him from defending himself properly, seeking removal from the case for dementia. The judge is examining 7.5 million euros paid for pre match referee reports, which prosecutors suspect are linked to sporting corruption.

Lawyer Daniel Pérez-Esqués says his condition has worsened since a 2023 assessment, when a judge deemed him fit despite age-related decline. A January 2024 note cited mild impairment, but a recent Fundación ACE report rates him at stage five on the Reisberg GDS scale, indicating moderate dementia.

The inquiry is in its final phase, with statements from Barcelona’s legal representative and club delegate Carles Naval due on the 10th. If no further evidence is sought, the judge will decide whether to close it and pass the case to prosecutors to file charges if appropriate. The trial remains some way off.

Enríquez Negreira was summoned as a suspect in March 2024 and exercised his right not to testify. The case also names his son, former presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, and other directors.

The most recent witness, former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart, appeared on six February and insisted the club had not committed irregularities or bought referees. He said Negreira senior was engaged via his company to provide referee reports, describing the practice as common in Spain and abroad.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo