Spanish judge sends former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell to prison without bail

The judge of the Spanish National Court, Carmen Lamela, sent former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell to prison without bail, accused of embezzlement of 6.5 million euros, which he later laundered in Andorra, from the sale of broadcasting rights for 24 friendly matches of the Brazilian national football team.

The judge made this decision after the statement from Rosell and the other detainees in Operation Rimet, of whom she also ordered the imprisonment of Andorran lawyer and politician Joan Besolí, for creating companies in the Principality with which the money was laundered.

The total amount of money diverted for these matches, which was paid to an Arabian company in the Cayman Islands linked to Saudi billionaire Saleh Kamel, was almost 15 million euros, of which the former president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ricardo Teixeira, allegedly received another 8.3 million.

Rosell, along with the other individuals under investigation, was part of a transnational criminal organization that "dedicated itself to laundering money from illicit commissions," according to the judge, who released the other three detainees last Tuesday in the operation.

These are Rosell's wife, Marta Pineda, who was released after the search of the couple's house and against whom no measures have been requested today; Rosell's frontman in Spain, livestock farmer Andreu Ramos (Besolí's brother-in-law), and his former Lebanese partner, Shahe Ohannessian.

The judge only imposed preventive measures of monthly appearances in court and a prohibition on leaving Spain against the latter two.