Barcelona’s ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu arrested by Spanish police

Josep Maria Bartomeu has been arrested by Spanish police for his involvement in the ‘Barcagate’ smear campaign scandal during his time as their club president.

Bartomeu is one of four people to have been arrested so far, with Barcelona’s CEO Oscar Grau and head of legal services Roman Gomez Ponti two of those. Jaume Masferrer who acted as an adviser to Bartomeu is the other.

On Monday morning, Spanish police entered Barcelona‘s Nou Camp stadium in a search and seize operation.

Spanish media said the operation was related to last year’s ‘Barcagate,’ in which club officials were accused of launching a smear campaign against current and former players who were critical of the club and then-president Bartomeu. 

In September, it was reported that the Catalan police had filed a report to the judge investigating Barcelona’s hiring of social media consultancy I3 Ventures and ‘possible economic crimes’ 

Barcelona’s former president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been arrested by Spanish police

Barcelona CEO Oscar Grau has also been detained by Spanish police in one of four arrests

Roman Gomez Ponti, head of legal services at Barcelona, is another who has been arrested

The allegation, according to El Mundo, was that Barcelona paid up to 600 per cent above the going rate for the services of I3 Ventures who were employed to monitor Barcelona’s social media.

It was claimed that these accounts ran negative stories about club figures who were in potential opposition to Bartomeu. One of the stories referred to Lionel Messi’s wife Antonella. 

In July, Barcelona made public the findings of an investigation by audit company PWC that ruled they did not commission I3 Ventures to run a smear campaign against important club figures.

Bartomeu and his board of directors resigned last year amid fallout from the controversy surrounding Lionel Messi.

The club has been mired in political turmoil and debt prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The operation comes less than a week before presidential elections are to be held at the club.