The Blaugrana leader appeared before the judge due to the lawsuit filed by a woman who invested 100,000 euros in two companies, Core Store and CSSB Limited, linked to the attempt to promote Reus Deportiu to the Second Division A. Laporta insisted that he did not participate in the direct management of the Hong Kong company nor was he an administrator of the Barcelona company, despite being a partner.
“"The lawsuit is based on press clippings, falsehoods, and half-truths, and that, in no case, was there fraud, but, at most, a contractual breach."
The investor allocated 50,000 euros in shares of the Chinese CSSB Limited and 50,000 euros as a loan to Core Store in 2016, promising an annual return of 6%. According to the accusation, she only recovered 35,000 euros of the total. Also summoned to testify this Friday were Barça's current sports vice-president, Rafa Yuste, economist Xavier Sala i Martín, and the club's former general director, Joan Oliver, but their appearances were postponed due to notification defects.
This is the third open case for alleged fraud against investors of the same companies. In early 2023, the president already had to testify in a similar procedure regarding a failed 2.4 million euro investment by a family who had won the lottery, a case that the Audiencia de Barcelona also forced to reopen after an initial dismissal.
