FCBARCELONA.CAT

24.09.2009 14:18

Security audit of club vice presidents

Vanessa Forns

Joan Oliver, corporate general director, has reported that a few months ago a security audit was commissioned of four of the club’s vice presidents to “protect them” again the possibility of “external investigations”.

The corporate general director appeared in a press conference at midday on Thursday to explain and clarify doubts that have arisen as a result of a story published in El Periódico de Catalunya about investigations of vice presidents Joan Boix, Rafael Yuste, Joan Franquesa and Jaume Ferrer promoted by the club. “These people have been protected and defended, they were not spied upon”, was Oliver’s clear statement.

The motives

In his speech, Oliver made it very clear that these security audits were commissioned after Joan Franquesa made it known to the club that he had a suspicion that he was being investigated: “He asked us to verify the security of his situation”. In this sense, the corporate general director commented that, considering the background of security issues at the club at the time, they felt “it was a reasonable request and that it should be extended to other vice presidents.”

On this point, Oliver explained that these were the times when vice president Afons Godall announced that he had no intention of standing as a candidate in the next presidential elections. “A situation arose in which the four vice presidents became more notorious, because questions started being asked about which of them would lead the club’s continuist candidacy. In short, all of them gained in public notoriety and that made them sensitive to security issues”, he explained.

Result in the hands of the vice presidents

“From there, a security audit was commissioned, by the club, with a serious and reputable company. This was done with discretion, as security matters are meant to be done. In April, the results of this security audit were known, and these were left in the hands of the four vice presidents. Six months have passed since then. I insist that it was a normal procedure forming part of the club’s security measures. It was nothing any special importance” he continued.

“It isn’t spying”

Oliver wanted to make two things very clear: “First, the information that has been published refers to espionage, but what was happening was that those people were being protected. When somebody is the object of a security audit and they themselves are given the results, that’s not spying. The second thing is that this security audit was undertaken under strict respect for the law. It doesn’t violate any precepts.”

Laporta, aware of result

Asked whether the president Joan Laporta knew that these audits had been commissioned, Joan Oliver replied that “he knew, like all the vice presidents, the result of the audit”. He added that “Every day decisions are made and people are informed of them if they are relevant. That’s how we work at this club. Work gets done, and depending on the results, the president is informed.”

Investment in security

The corporate director general of FC Barcelona reported that the cost of this audit “came to 56,000 euros, a figure that represents a little more than 1% of the club’s security budget, which is four million euros … Remember there are two types of security: the security of people and brands, and everything regarding the security of the facilities. We have a very complex situation here that takes a lot of effort”, he concluded.