Josep Maria Bartomeu has come forward to deny information from EFE, based on a report by the Mossos d'Esquadra, which indicated the existence of payments to journalists during his term as president of Barça, between 2014 and 2020, to defend his reputation before public opinion and in turn to criticize the detractors of the directive.
"I present a brief of allegations to the content of a new Mossos d'Esquadra report pointing out the existence of payments ordered by me to journalists in order to defend myself before public opinion and, at the same time, criticize other Barcelona fans", begins the statement Bartomeu, investigated for the 'Barçagate' case.
The former leader assures in the text presented in the Investigating Court number 13 of Barcelona that these accusations "are not true but an erroneous and perverse interpretation of conversations between different people, journalists and executives from which subsequent assumptions and unreliable evidence are extracted " .
"He tries to conclude, falsely, that, in addition, money was allocated from FC Barcelona, under my presidency, to third-party companies paying certain journalists for the same purpose of protecting my reputation", continues a Bartomeu who submitted his resignation as president of the Barça in October 2020.
"I categorically deny that, by my order or with my consent, journalists were paid from FC Barcelona for the purpose, or change, of defending the management or my person", concludes Bartomeu's letter, the most extensive version of which has been presented by his lawyer in court this Tuesday, February 14.
In the aforementioned report, the Mossos state that "invoices were falsified to divert money to the journalists chosen by Bartomeu" and that "on various occasions Bartomeu also ordered third-party companies to make payments to journalists."
They especially point to the company Amalgama Marketing, managed by Miquel Sambola, who worked in Bartomeu's electoral campaign in 2015 together with his brother Óscar Sambola and his father Miquel Sambola Puebla. This company had a contract with FC Barcelona during Bartomeu's tenure.
