Former President Of Barcelona, Bartomeu Free Catalan Police

Josep Maria Bartomeu (Instagram @bartomeuofficial_)

JAKARTA - Former FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was temporarily released on Tuesday, a day after he was arrested in an investigation into allegations of corruption and mismanagement, according to a Barcelona court statement.

The statement said Bartomeu and his former adviser, Jaume Masferrer, had exercised their right not to give statements in court and that the judge had approved their temporary release.

"The 13 Barcelona investigative tribunal, in the case opened in May 2020 for disloyal administrative crimes and business corruption, has today taken statements from former FC Barcelona executives, Josep M. Bartomeu; and Jaume Masferrer, as persons under investigation, "the High Court of Catalonia (TSJC) said, quoted from Marca on Tuesday.

"The two under investigation, who have been brought to court today, have exercised their right not to testify and the judge has agreed to release them on bail. The case, whose secret summary process has been withdrawn, remains open," they continued.

Bartomeu was among four people arrested by Catalan police over the Barcagate scandal and alleged crimes related to property and socio-economic order.

Barcelona CEO Oscar Grau and director of legal services Roman Gomez Ponti were also detained and later released on Monday (local time), while Bartomeu and Masferrer had to spend the night at the Barcelona police station.

The club office at the Camp Nou stadium was one of five properties ransacked by police during the operation.

The investigation, which police say began nearly a year ago and is still ongoing, stems from a report by radio station Cadena Ser in February 2020 that revealed that the club had hired a company to monitor social media activity when Bartomeu was president.

Bartomeu was the president of FC Barcelona from 2014 to 2020.