The victim’s lawyer, Ester García, who represents the Dani Alves complainant, warns in her appeal against the bail release of the footballer that the risk of flight persists due to the player’s financial resources. She notes that in Brazil there are a total of 14 companies created between 2019 and 2022 in which Alves appears as owner or administrator. She argues that forming 14 companies in four years reveals the footballer’s financial situation, even if some try to downplay it because these entities operate with Brazilian currency. This observation, reported by El Periódico de Catalunya, the same publishing group behind this outlet, is presented as a decisive indicator of a high likelihood that the athlete might return to Brazil. Otherwise, the main headquarters of his businesses would be located in the city of his registered address, which is Barcelona. This is one of the arguments she uses to request the revocation of the decision by Section 21 of the Barcelona Court of Appeal to grant the player freedom. The stance is also echoed by the case’s prosecutor, Elisabet Jiménez. Alves left Brians 2 prison, in Sant Esteve de Sesrovires, on Monday afternoon after depositing one million euros in the court account, the amount set by the judges. Upon leaving prison, he went straight to his home in Esplugues de Llobregat. The ownership of that residence is another point highlighted in the defense’s appeal.
Elaborating on the isues at stake, the victim’s attorney points out that Alves holds the property in joint ownership with his former spouse. In 2010 the property was purchased for five million euros, though the defense argued in a prior hearing that it was encumbered by a mortgage the defendant could not meet. The sale deed, which appears in the case files, indicates the payment was made in full via five named checks, and the purchase did not involve a mortgage at that time. The appeal stresses that the document shows a cash purchase which underscores the financial footprint associated with the defendant.
The seriousness of the offense
The civil claimant emphasizes that the four-and-a-half-year sentence handed to Alves does not erase the seriousness of the crime for which he was convicted, nor the potential severity of future penalties. The prosecution continues to seek nine years of imprisonment, while the victim’s lawyer advocates for a twelve-year term. The defense has appealed again, maintaining Alves’s innocence and seeking acquittal. The complainant’s representative reminds readers that during the investigation the same Barcelona court had approved pretrial detention, and the circumstances at that time remain largely unchanged, save for the fact that the convicted player now faces a more substantial sentence that, if finalized, cannot be suspended. The court must decide on the matter.
The ongoing legal process is deeply intricate, and the path to a final ruling is uncertain. In a recent interview with Catalunya Radio, Ester García expressed skepticism about the likelihood that freedom will be revoked. She explained that once the suspect is at liberty, the case loses its priority status, and the appeals against the conviction will proceed slowly through the Catalan High Court and eventually the Supreme Court. “This is a long wait for my client,” García stated, underscoring that years could pass before a final judgment is issued. The case continues to unfold as the parties prepare their respective arguments and await higher court decisions.