Mueez Ajao
– Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil forward Neymar has been acquitted of fraud and corruption charges over his 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona, a Spanish court ruled on Tuesday.
– Neymar’s father, the two clubs, former Barca presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell and ex-Santos president Odilio Rodrigues have also been found not guilty following a trial in October.
– The case, brought by Spanish prosecutors, stemmed from a complaint made by DIS, a Brazilian company that owned 40% of Neymar’s when he was at Santos.
Also Read: Spanish prosecutors drop all fraud charges against Neymar
– DIS argued they lost out on their rightful cut from the transfer because the true value of the deal was understated by the parties involved.
– They were demanding a five-year jail term for Neymar and also requested jail terms for Rosell and Bartomeu, and a total fine of €149m fine for the defendants.
– Spanish prosecutors, meanwhile, wanted a two-year prison term for Neymar and the payment of a €10 million fine, plus a five-year jail term for Rosell and an €8.4m fine for Barcelona.
