Neymar in Spain to be tried on charges of fraud and corruption

BARCELONA: Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar will appear alongside eight other people in a Barcelona court on Monday after allegations of fraud and corruption during the player’s transfer from Santos to Barcelona in 2013. A Reuters witness said Neymar and his father arrivedin Spain Early Monday they headed to central Barcelona after the player spent some time signing memorabilia for a fan at the city’s airport. Prosecutors in Spain are demanding a two-year prison sentence and a € 10 million ($ 9.8 million) fine for Neymar, as well as five years in prison for former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell and a fine of 8.4 million of euros for the club Catalan. The case relates to a complaint by the Brazilian investment company (DIS), which owned 40% of Neymar’s rights during his time at Santos, that it lost money in the player’s transfer because the value of the deal was less than his. real value. The company asked Neymar for a heavier penalty than five years in prison and a € 149 million fine, with a ban on gambling for the duration of the sentence set by the judge. In addition to Neymar, 30, the player’s parents and representatives of the two should be tried on Monday morning club, including former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, his predecessor Rosell and former Santos president Odilio Rodriguez. The court ordered everyone to attend at 10:00 (08:00 GMT) on Monday. “Neymar, with the complicity of his parents and the board of directors of Barcelona and Santos, has betrayed the trust of my clients,” said Paulo Nasser, a lawyer at DIS, on Thursday. in a press conference in Barcelona. “The true value of the transfer (between Santos and Barcelona) was 82 million euros and in the official transfer only 17 million euros appeared. He added that Neymar was not sold to the highest bidder, pointing out that others club they offered 60 million euros for its services. All the accused have repeatedly denied the offense. Neymar, a prominent member of Brazil’s World Cup finals in Qatar next month, he lost an appeal to the Spanish Supreme Court in 2017, paving the way for his trial. It is unclear whether Neymar will be asked to stay during the entire hearing, which is expected to last seven days. Neymar scored Saint-Germain’s 1-0 victory goal against Olympique Marseille on Sunday, and his side will face Ajaccio in the French first division on Friday, before taking on Maccabi Haifa in Champions League on 25 October. (Reuters)