Luis Rubiales, the disgraced former Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) president, was detained after which launched upon his return to the nation amid an ongoing corruption probe.
Spain’s Civil Guard stated on Wednesday that Rubiales was detained and questioned by police at Madrid’s airport after getting off a airplane and was launched a couple of hours later.
An investigative decide is predicted to summon him for extra questioning within the coming days.
His lawyer, Margrita Crespo, stated Rubiales was requested to accompany officers to a police station, the place they learn him his rights, took his fingerprints and searched his belongings.
The lawyer added, nonetheless, that Rubiales was not notified of something and allowed to go away with none restrictions.
Rubiales was returning to Spain on a flight from the Dominican Republic, the place he had spent two months on what he described as a enterprise journey.
He minimize quick his keep overseas by three days, having initially instructed a court docket he was coming again on Saturday.
Whereas he was overseas, police raided workplaces and properties linked to a probe into alleged corruption, improper administration and cash laundering throughout his tenure as president of the RFEF.
A Madrid court docket has been investigating since June 2022 whether or not he dedicated the crime of improper administration when the RFEF agreed with former Barcelona participant Gerard Pique’s Kosmos agency to relocate the Spanish Tremendous Cup to Saudi Arabia, a deal value a reported 120 million euros (about $200 million at the moment).
Seven folks had been detained by police, and Rubiales was recognized as one in every of 5 extra people beneath investigation. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Police searched the RFEF’s headquarters exterior Madrid and Rubiales’ condominium within the southern Spanish metropolis of Granada on March 20, in addition to a soccer stadium in Seville.
In a short preview of a recorded interview with Spanish tv channel La Sexta, Rubiales denied a collection of what he referred to as false claims made by Spanish media, together with that he accepted bribes, and stated his earnings had been a product of his work and financial savings.
Rubiales additionally confirmed Spanish police had searched his non permanent lodgings within the Dominican Republic on Monday, seizing a cell phone.
Saudi Arabia choice in query
Throughout his time as president of Spanish soccer, Rubiales overhauled the format of the Spanish Tremendous Cup in 2020, making a four-team mini event and transferring the competitors to Saudi Arabia.
Prosecutors opened a probe of that deal in 2022 following the publication of leaked audio of Rubiales and then-Barcelona participant Gerard Piqué discussing thousands and thousands of {dollars} in commissions.
Piqué’s sports activities leisure firm Kosmos was concerned within the take care of the federation and Saudi Arabia.
An organization official instructed the Related Press that no worker of Kosmos has been detained or positioned beneath investigation and no property of the corporate has been raided.
The corruption and cash laundering investigation is trying into contracts for the Spanish Tremendous Cup and the federation’s hyperlinks with Seville’s La Cartuja Stadium, which hosts the Copa del Rey ultimate and a few worldwide video games, amongst different offers.
Rubiales stepped down as president of the federation in September after inflicting a world scandal for kissing Spain participant Jenni Hermoso with out her consent on the Ladies’s World Cup ultimate.
He’s going through a trial for allegedly sexually assaulting Hermoso. He has denied any wrongdoing in that case, arguing the kiss was consensual.
AP/Reuters
