On December 14, 2015, seven agents from the Judicial Police Brigade Investigation Group of the Supreme Police Headquarters in Catalonia delivered documents to the Central Court No. 3 of the National Court. They had found these papers during a search of the headquarters of the office. At that time, Catalan businessman Gerard Romy was in Barcelona. US authorities, including the FBI, and a New York court, together with the prosecution, launched what is now known as the FIFA Gate inquiry. The case centered on allegations of corruption within the International Football Federation and concerns about the selection of Qatar as the host country for the 2022 World Cup. They requested Spain to search the Imagina World company headquarters on Avenida Diagonal for evidence of possible improper payments.
That evidence included a hard drive from which agents copied several folders found on Romy’s computer. The folder names included Champions, AL Qualifiers, Copa América, Footb Rights, FIFA, Golfo, Imagina, Inversiones, Medialuso, FIFA Offer, Tournaments and Competitions, and UEFA. These statements, cited by El Periódico de España of the Prensa Ibérica group, were sent to United States authorities pursuing Romy in the case.
The entry log for the office search notes that the agent described the process and indicated disagreement with Romy’s actions during the search. The entry read that the person under investigation was not present in the office and that the search began following the undersigned’s registry requirements.
FBI presence
During the search, Romy was present at his own office. He was questioned by the FBI about which folders on the computer might be relevant to the case. The police document mentions a computer folder labeled these tests. Saudi Arabia was referenced in some notes tied to the broader investigation.
Among the documents related to the FIFA Gate case accessible to the newsroom, an order dated December 14, 2015, outlines the evidence against Romy, a partner of Jaume Roures, a fellow Catalan businessman. The order states that the U.S. Attorney General and the FBI, along with the Internal Revenue Service, conducted investigations with the Imagina Group’s Criminal Investigation unit. It notes that Gerard Romy, among others, allegedly cooperated in bribes, kickbacks, and other illegal payments accepted or facilitated by FIFA officials, with proceeds laundered as part of the scheme.
The United States investigation determined that, according to the National Court order, several individuals between 2008 and 2015, including executives from Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala, were purportedly bribed in exchange for selling broadcasting rights and marketing for World Cup qualifying matches.
a Spanish company
The bribes were allegedly paid by Media World LLC, a firm based in Miami, Florida, and a subsidiary of Imagina US, which belongs to a business group headquartered in Barcelona. The order notes that Romy, as a shareholder of Imagina US, was aware of the bribe scheme and accepted it.
A protected witness described Romy as traveling to Miami to learn about efforts to secure broadcasting rights across different Central American football federations. During interviews, the witness reportedly reported back to Romy about bribes paid on behalf of Media World. The National Court order also reminds officials of UNCAF federations that obtaining World Cup qualifying rights involved consulting contracts used to hide irregular payments.
In 2012, a company tied to Imagina agreed to pay three million euros to Caribbean Football Association director Jeffrey Webb as part of a twenty three million euro contract. The two companies reportedly shared the cost of the bribe. The narrative centers on Romy’s involvement in the arrangement to fund the bribe, as described in the National Court order.