Justice supports the dismissal of a former RFEF security chief for false invoices

The Superior Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM) has confirmed the dismissal from, dictated by a Social Court, of the former security chief of the Royal Spanish Football Federation for a “false billing plot” in collusion with Securitas charges, discovered in 2018 and for which he was fired.

The Fifth Section of the TSJM rejected in a sentence of November 2019, released this Wednesday by the Trade Union Alternative Union, the appeal filed by the former head of security against the order of the Social Court number 31 of Madrid issued on June 13, 2019 and confirms it in all its extremes. Against that decision there was an appeal before the Supreme Court.

It's about the one who was head of security of the Federation between 2004 and 2018, during the mandate of the previous president of the organization, Angel Maria Villar, who was arrested in the summer of 2017 in the so-called Operation Soule for the crimes of unfair administration, misappropriation and / or fraud, document falsification and corruption between individuals.

Villar was replaced by Luis Rubiales on May 17, 2018 and re-elected to the position last September. The plot of false invoices was denounced by a position appointed by the current leadership of the Federation.

In the ruling, the TSJM considers it proven that the person who was the head of security for the Federation participated in a “plot of false invoices” in collusion with a Securitas manager, which was the company that provided the service, to obtain economic profit.

Among others, he highlights as examples the service relating to the match between Spain and Croatia held in Elche in September 2018, for which the applicant requested that six security coordinators be hired when in fact only two coordinators were accredited. Also, in the service of the final of the Copa del Rey on April 21, 2018 requested the hiring of 24 coordinators but only fourteen were credited.

The ruling recalls that the plaintiff became head of security for the Federation in 2004 and was the one who organized and controlled the entire area, until in July 2018 a superior was hired, with the position of head of the Department of Integrity and Security . The Securitas company was hired by the Federation in 2016.

The new position detected irregularities from the match between Spain and Croatia in Elche and issued a report in which it warns that the invoices issued by Securitas do not correspond to the services provided, and that personnel of this company are aware of this false billing scheme. The RFEF fired the plaintiff and the social court considered his dismissal valid.

Now the judges of the TSJM ratify that “there was a collusion” between the former head of security and a manager of Securitas so that the first one “obtained an economic profit” and “to carry out the invoicing of the contracted services, the actor communicated to the manager the number of coordinators and hours he needed to provide a specific security service, but it demanded that a certain, higher amount appear on the invoice “.

Thus, the Securitas manager issued the agreed invoice and then “delivered an envelope with the excess price of the contracted service” to the one who was head of security, something that was “authorized by his company and in fear of losing the security contract, since the actor had been warning him at all times.”

The Union Alternativa Sindical has considered “unheard of” that, after this judicial procedure, the Royal Football Federation “continue to maintain two contracts on security with Securitas”: one for the service of security guards and security systems, and another for auxiliary services.