Laporta denies signing contract with investor who alleges 100,000-euro fraud | OneFootball

Barcelona president Joan Laporta appeared at Investigating Court No 22 over an aggravated fraud complaint from an investor who put 100,000 euros into Core Store and Hong Kong firm CSSB Limited for football projects in Reus and China. According to Superdeporte, the hearing followed Barcelona’s Copa del Rey progress.

Laporta denied knowing the investor or signing any contract for those companies, said he left Core Store in 2019, and added that former Barça and Reus executive Joan Oliver handled the deals. Oliver, vice-president Rafael Yuste and economist Xavier Sala i Martín are also under investigation and are due to testify in the coming weeks after new summonses.

The investor alleges 100,000 euros was taken for a promised six per cent return, half for Reus’s promotion, with about 35,000 euros recovered, and 50,000 euros for shares in a Chinese Super League club. They seek the balance plus interest and say Laporta and partners misused their professional credibility despite knowing the projects were unviable.

Laporta’s side says that between 2023 and 2025 almost all funds were repaid, casting it as a civil breach, not a crime. Lawyer Jordi Pujante said Laporta did not know the ventures, some failed due to Covid, and insisted he did not sign any contract with the investor.

Pepe Oriola says they will file a document bearing Laporta’s signature and will seek six-year prison terms, while separate probes include an alleged four million euros shortfall and a 4.7 million euros CSSB Limited case plus a 50,000 euros complaint.

Source: Superdeporte