FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta, club vice-president Rafa Yuste, as well as former "blaugrana" directors Xavier Sala i Martín and Joan Oliver have been summoned to court as suspects in a fraud case.
The case concerns the companies Core Store (Spain) and CSSB Limited (Hong Kong), with which all four individuals were associated, - reports Idman.Biz.
Investigators state that in 2016 the claimant invested 50,000 euros in Core Store, whose business plan envisaged promoting the club Reus Deportiu from Spain’s fourth division to the second. She also invested 54,000 euros in CSSB Limited, which aimed to establish a football academy in China modeled on Barcelona’s La Masia. Investors were promised not only financial returns but also "social recognition" as respected figures in sports and business.
Out of a total investment of 104,000 euros, the woman managed to recover only 12,500 euros in August 2024, following repeated breaches of contractual obligations. After learning that other individuals had also lost money in these projects, she contacted lawyer Pepe Oriola, who represents several alleged victims.
It is worth noting that this is already the third lawsuit against Laporta related to the activities of these companies. Laporta and Oliver are listed as managers of Core Store, while Oliver also served as CEO of Reus Deportiu prior to the club’s liquidation.
