Written by Fernando Callas
MADRID (Reuters) – Luis RubialesThe disgraced former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) must appear in a local court in Madrid at least once a month to seek permission to leave the country, a Spanish judge ordered on Monday.
The decision was announced after Rubiales, who is under investigation for corruption on charges of misadministration and business corruption, testified early in the morning.
Mr. Rubiales is ordered to “appear before the judicial system once a month and as many times as the court requires.” If you plan to leave the country, you will also need to include the date of departure and return, as well as your address while abroad.
A Madrid court has ruled that from June 2022, RFEF will have to pay a total of 120 million euros ($128.45 million) to former Barcelona player Gerard Pique's company Cosmos and the relocation of the Spanish Super Cup venue to Saudi Arabia. The investigation is investigating whether Mr. Rubiales was guilty of improper management when agreeing to the contract. ).
The former RFEF president denied any wrongdoing in the deal with Saudi Arabia after testifying on Monday.
“I am confident that justice will be served in the end. At no time under my watch has any money been received in an improper manner. That is, we have always acted together in the pursuit of the highest standards of excellence and legality,'' Rubiales told reporters on Monday.
“I answered every question that was asked, I was cross-examined and I think I was here for over four hours. If I have to come again because the honorable judge said so, I'm here.”All I'm the one most interested in solving the problem. ”
While he was president of RFEF, Rubiales traveled to the Dominican Republic for more than two months on a business trip when a Spanish judge ordered a search of his offices and properties related to an investigation into allegations of corruption, mismanagement and money laundering. was staying. .
He returned to Spain in early April, but was informed by police that he was a suspect and told to appear in a local court.
On March 20, police searched the RFEF headquarters on the outskirts of Madrid, Rubiales' apartment in Granada, southern Spain, and a soccer stadium in Seville. Seven people have been arrested so far.
He resigned as RFEF president in September, and a month later was banned from football for three years by FIFA for allegedly kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent after Spain won the Women's World Cup.
Rubiales insisted the act was consensual and denied any wrongdoing, but prosecutors have charged him with sexual assault and coercion and are seeking a two-and-a-half year prison term.
(1 dollar = 0.9342 euro)
(Reporting by Fernando Callas; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
