Property developer and former FC Barcelona President, Josep Lluís Núñez, goes to jail for tax fraud

Barcelona (ACN).- Josep Lluís Núñez Clemente – aged 83 – and his son – who had been Director of the family company – have been accused of bribing tax inspectors in the 1990s regarding their private business and have entered jail this weekend for a 2 year and 2 additional month sentence. Núñez senior chaired FC Barcelona between 1978 and 2000 but his sentence has nothing to do with the famous sports club's activities. After one of the longest judicial processes in Spain's history, which has lasted 15 years, Núñez senior and his son were initially convicted in July 2011 and ordered to spend 6 years in prison and to pay a €2 million fine. Barcelona's High Court sentenced they had bribed tax inspectors with €1 million in order to avoid paying more than €13 million in taxes between 1991 and 1999, and that they had also forged official documents. However, father and son appealed the decision and the Spanish Supreme Court reduced their prison time. They filed a last appeal to avoid going to prison but in October 2014 Barcelona's High Court ratified their imprisonment, which had to be effective before this Monday. They will go to prison before the Spanish Government takes a decision about their pardon petition, which is likely to be rejected. Considering Núñez senior's age and condition of health, he could be granted day parole in only a few weeks, through which he would be outside the prison during the day and would have to go back overnight. However, despite getting day parole or not, the imprisonment of Josep Lluís Núñez Clemente and his son has a highly symbolic value for a society going through years of deep economic crisis and with so many corruption cases emerging. It sends the powerful message that tax fraud and corruption are being pursued and that those who are found guilty will go to jail sooner or later, regardless of their fortune and social position.

Despite the excessively-long investigation and judicial process, for facts dating from 1991 to 1999, the imprisonment of one of the most famous millionaires and business people in Catalonia, who also was the President of FC Barcelona for 22 years (1978-2000), contributes to putting an end to the sense of impunity often accompanying corruption cases. On Sunday afternoon, Núñez senior and his son – who has the same given name – went by their own means to the doors of the Quatre Camins correctional, in Greater Barcelona, and asked to begin their prison time. They did so on the day before the Court's deadline for accessing prison voluntarily expired. After going through the accession process, they were put in the same cell in a restricted area for people who could be at risk among regular inmates due to their identity or former activities, such as convicted police officers and politicians. In fact, Quatre Camins is the only prison in Catalonia which has this totally-separated area, with a separate yard, dining room and other shared facilities.

Núñez y Navarro, one of the main real estate development companies in Barcelona

Together with his wife, Núñez senior founded a very successful property development company, Núñez y Navarro, and became one of the most famous self-made men in Catalonia. Born in the Basque Country in 1931, he arrived in Catalonia as a child, married María Lluïsa Navarro and they managed to build from scratch one of the largest property development companies of Catalonia, particularly focusing their activities in the Catalan capital. And from the 1960s they built manifold apartment blocks in Barcelona targeting middle class buyers. Most of Núñez y Navarro's blocks looked almost the same in order to reduce design costs. They were built predominantly on street corners, occupying large plots of land and benefiting from relaxed town planning regulations that authorised them to reach greater heights than neighbouring buildings. In fact, those blocks have shaped many street corners of the Catalan capital with their distinctive look, which is not particularly recognised for its beauty. However, from the late 1990s, the company evolved: they renovated the style of their constructions, hiring recognised architects, and later on they added a hotel management division to the family group.

22 years as FC Barcelona's President

In addition to his private business activities, Josep Lluís Núñez Clemente became particularly famous from 1978 onwards. That year, in the FC Barcelona's first democratic elections after Franco's dictatorship, the successful self-made man became the sports' club President. As Barça's main manager, Núñez senior put an end to years of poor sport results. After 22 consecutive years in office, he still is the FC Barcelona's President that has earned the largest number of titles, including the first UEFA European Cup of football. Furthermore, he modernised the club and expanded its facilities, building the Mini Stadium (1982), FC Barcelona's Museum (1984) and a residence for La Masía's football academy.