Alex Trelinski
THE former Spanish FA president, Luis Rubiales, was arrested at Madrid airport on Wednesday morning after arriving back in the country on a flight from the Dominican Republic.
The Guardia Civil has been investigating alleged irregular contracts within the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) during the time when Luis Rubiales was at the helm.
Rubiales was released after being informed of charges against him and he invoked his right not to give a statement.
The centre of the investigation involves a contract between the former federation president and former footballer Gerard Pique over the Spanish Super Cup matches being moved to Saudi Arabia.
Another accusation is that €3.8 million of RFEF money was diverted to a constructor of Sevilla’s stadium, with Rubiales taking a commission of over €500,000.
Rubiales, who faces a sexual assault case for his World Cup kiss on Jenni Hermoso last August, was in the Dominican Republic on March 20 when details of the corruption investigation were revealed.
He is being probed for the alleged crimes of corruption in business, disloyal administration, money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation by a court in Majadahonda (Madrid).
According to TV channel La Sexta, which had a crew on the same plane in which the former president was travelling, a Guardia Civil officer told Rubiales of the accusations inside the aircraft.
Subsequently, he got off the plane and went into into a black van which was waiting at the foot of the tarmac, which took him to a Guardia office for him to be processed and then released.
Dozens of journalists and cameras from various media outlets awaited his arrival at Terminal 1 of the airport but were left disappointed.
Sources from his defence told the EFE agency that Rubiales’ return was not due to a judge summonsing him but his desire to return as soon as possible.
On Monday, Dominican police along with the Guardia, searched his holiday accommodation on the island, where had been staying for the last few months.
Luis Rubiales has given an interview to La Sexta, which will be broadcast this Wednesday, in denies corruption and says that all of his money is the product of his work and savings.
The interview has Rubiales denying money laundering and diverting money into a baseball team.
“It’s a lie that I have land for the construction of hotels in Saudi Arabia and I don’t know what the judge is saying and what the Guardia has investigated because I don’t know if it has a direct link with leaks made in the media,” he said.
“The claims that the media have made and the money I had in my accounts have nothing to do with it. The money in my accounts is the product of my work and savings,” Rubiales added.
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