Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu gave evidence in court on Friday, defending the club's actions during the complex signing of Neymar, said a statement released by the Catalan outfit.
Bartomeu was accompanied by his own personal lawyer at the hearing, and made it clear that nobody at the Camp Nou had intended to commit any fraud as he testified in front of judge Pablo Ruz of Madrid's Audiencia Nacional court in the latest episode in the long-running saga relating to the controversial summer 2013 signing of the Brazilian superstar.
Ruz, who is overseeing an investigation into whether former Barca president Sandro Rosell misappropriated funds to hide the transfer cost paid to sign the former Santos starlet, had accepted a Spanish state prosecutor's petition that Bartomeu be charged for his role in allegedly defrauding the taxpayer of 2.8 million euros during the deal.
Rosell and Bartomeu have both long maintained they did nothing wrong in the complex deal, when the Brazilian star was persuaded to spurn interest from Real Madrid and move to the Camp Nou.
"President Bartomeu gave explanations to all about which he was questioned," Barca said in a statement. "In particular, he defended the decisions taken in the matter, always in consultation with the Club's financial advisers. He made it clear that it has never been his intention, nor that of the Club's executives, to aim to defraud the National Tax Office. Additionally, the Club, through its lawyer Cristobal Martell, has informed the judge that in the next few days a legal representative will be appointed to represent the Club."
Bartomeu was accompanied by his lawyer, criminal expert Jose Angel Gonzalez Franco.
When Bartomeu was personally charged last week, he claimed that the latest move by the Madrid courts to push for a prosecution over the Neymar deal had been motivated by anger in the Spanish capital at Real Madrid missing out on such a talented young player. Club vice presidents Javier Faus and Carles Vilarrubi played down such suggestions of bias, and there are no indications that Bartomeu raised this objection during Friday's conversation with the judge.
Local media in both Catalonia and Madrid have claimed club sources told them that Bartomeu made clear during Friday's session that Rosell had been in charge of putting together the complex deal which included seven different contracts.
After legal proceedings began, and Rosell had resigned as president in January 2014, the club itself published a breakdown showing a number of side-payments to the N&N company run by Neymar's father. Including these payments, the total cost involved rose to 86.2 million euros, however the club continues to maintain that the "fee" was just 57.1 million euros.