Laporta to answer in court over alleged use of credibility to attract investors | OneFootball

Barcelona president Laporta will appear on Friday before Investigating Court number 22 in Barcelona over claims he used his professional credibility to attract investors through Core Store and CSSB Limited. Vice-president Rafael Yuste will testify, and Xavier Sala i Martín and Joan Oliver were summoned but not located.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, about €100,000 was allegedly taken from an investor represented by lawyer José Oriola, who was promised a six percent return and recovered only €12,500. Other proceedings concern money placed by several backers with these firms for high annual yields that did not arrive.

The complaint examines whether the defendants relied on their reputations to draw in investors. Brochures featured all four in projects such as a CSSB Limited plan to buy lower-tier Chinese club Beijing Institute of Technology, linked to an academy model like Barça’s.

The complainant turned to the courts after watching the documentary Laportagate-El caso del Reus 2 by Andreu Rauet, while that separate case is still awaiting an admissibility ruling.

Other probes linked to CSSB Limited include a €4.7 million claim by a €34 million lottery-winning family, a €50,000 investment tied to Beijing Institute of Technology, and €100,000 from tennis professional Albert Ramos. Courts are examining similar pitches promising six or seven percent a year, and Laporta has testified as a witness, distancing himself from CSSB Limited.

Tax authorities are separately reviewing CSSB Limited and Core Store transactions with China for possible fraud, with up to €6 million in operations flagged to date.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo