Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Golder’s News And Sport
Lionel Messi has been freshly accused of falsifying documents in his charitable foundation with a prosecutor claiming only six percent of the money was actually used for charity.
Barcelona captain Messi, 32, has been accused of allegedly falsifying documents by a prosecutor in Santa Fe, a province in northern Argentina.
Local media report prosecutor Ramiro Gonzalez asked the Financial Information Unit (UIF) to sum up all of the financial transactions the foundation has made.
According to Argentina newspaper Cronica, Gonzalez asked for special efforts to be made to investigate a property the foundation acquired in Santa Fe, however it is unclear why.
Gonzalez claims the foundation has “falsified public documents” after failing to present justification for the charity’s spending.
The lawsuit released by Cronica reads: “Ramiro Gonzalez, Head of the National Prosecution of Criminal and Federal Corrections Nº7, in the writing of the lawsuit nº10202/18 named “Messi, Lionel and others for falsifying public documents.”
Local media report a document surfaced claiming the Leo Messi Foundation only used approximately six percent of the sum donated to the foundation.
Messi’s father Jorge Horacio Messi, 61, is reportedly also implicated in the case.
Local media report the Messi family-run company Limecu SA, a beneficiary of the foundation, manages the footballer’s publicity contracts and also works in real-estate.
According to Spanish newspaper La Nacion, Limecu SA has moved “around 200 million EUR since 2013 – according to initial calculations” and all transactions from the company are “administered by Jorge Messi”.
Investigators reportedly found the foundation made “systematic” transfers to Limecu SA, however, Messi’s siblings, Matias Messi and Maria Sol Messi, reportedly also received some money between the years of 2013 and 2016 however the amounts are unclear.
Local media report sources close to Messi’s defence say: “It is a media campaign from a group that wants to get money out of the family.
“All of the foundation’s accounts are very transparent.”
The investigation is reportedly ongoing, however, it is unclear if there will be any charges against the foundation.
A Spanish National Court judge recently archived another case against the Leo Messi Foundation in Spain which included accusations against his brother and acting President of the foundation Rodrigo Messi among others.
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