Joan Laporta has secured another significant legal victory after a Barcelona court rejected a fraud lawsuit linked to investments in Reus Deportiu. Court of First Instance number 22 dismissed the complaint filed by Maria Teresa Alibau Batch against the Barcelona president, his deputy Rafael Yuste, Xavier Sala Martin, and Joan Oliver, along with the companies Kor Store and CSSB Limited.
Judge Marta Bou delivered a decisive ruling, stating that the lawsuit contained no credible evidence of fraudulent activity. "The lawsuit does not contain any elements that allow the conclusion that there are facts constituting a crime of fraud, nor was any intent proven to criminalise the transactions in the manner claimed by the plaintiff," the judge wrote in her decision. The case centred on two separate investments the plaintiff made in Reus Deportiu through the named companies, with the plaintiff herself acknowledging she had received returns from the first investment without issue.
Pattern of Legal Success for Barcelona President
This ruling marks the second fraud dismissal in Laporta's favour within months. In June of the previous year, the Barcelona Provincial Court dismissed an earlier fraud lawsuit brought by former tennis player Albert Ramos, who had accused Joan Oliver of deception in a failed commercial project. That court also found no evidence of fraud and upheld the investigating judge's initial determination, establishing a clear pattern of legal vindication for the Barcelona hierarchy in these Reus-related disputes.
The successive court decisions underscore the strength of Laporta's legal position and suggest that claims of fraudulent conduct in these investment matters lack substantive foundation. The dismissal removes another layer of legal uncertainty surrounding the Barcelona president's tenure, allowing him to focus entirely on the club's sporting and financial operations without ongoing litigation distractions.
