Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was arrested on Monday as part of a police investigation into last year's 'Barcagate' scandal, a source with knowledge of the case told AFP . Bartomeu, who resigned as president in October, was among four arrests made just six days ahead of the club's new presidential elections on Sunday. Barcelona's current chief executive Oscar Grau, head of legal services Roma Gomez Ponti and Bartomeu's advisor Jaume Masferrer were also arrested by Catalan police, who searched the club's offices on Monday morning. Grau and Gomez Ponti were released late on Monday but Bartomeu and Masferrer would spend the night at a cell at a Barcelona police station before appearing before a judge on Tuesday, Spanish media reported. Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, said in a statement the arrests were made as part of "an investigation into alleged crimes related to property and the socio-economic order" that has "been going on for almost a year". Barcelona released a statement confirming the operation is linked to last year's 'Barcagate' controversy, when the club was accused of covering up payments made to a company called I3 Ventures, hired to boost the image of then-president Bartomeu on social media. Part of the social media campaign included criticising current and former players, like Lionel Messi, Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez. Messi described the controversy as "strange" in an interview with Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo. "FC Barcelona have offered up their full collaboration to the legal and police authorities to help make clear facts which are subject to investigation," the club said in its statement. "The information and documentation requested by the judicial police force relate strictly to the facts relative to this case." Spanish radio station Cadena Ser claimed Barca paid I3 Ventures an inflated fee and put payments through in smaller, separate amounts to avoid the club's financial controls. …
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