‘Kissgate’ scandal former Spanish FA boss Luis Rubiales was arrested by police on Wednesday after being escorted off a flight back to Madrid from the Caribbean.
Detectives were waiting for him as he stepped off an Air Europa plane from the Dominican Republic which landed at Madrid’s Barajas Airport just before 11am local time.
He was taken to an airport police station and read his rights before being told he was under investigation as part of an ongoing corruption probe unrelated to the ‘unwanted’ kiss he gave footballer Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s Women’s World Cup women’s final win against England last August.
Police confirmed he had been released just after 1.30pm ahead of an expected court summons where he will be questioned by a judge behind closed doors.
The corruption probe is linked to alleged financial irregularities during his time as head of the Spanish FA and focuses on business deals thought to include one to hold the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales was arrested on Wednesday amid an ongoing corruption probe linked to his time as head of the Spanish FA
A Spanish court has been investigating Rubiales (L) over decision in 2019 to relocate the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia
Footage emerged on Wednesday that showed the 46-year-old entering a Civil Guard van just after 10.30am local time, after officers awaited his arrival at Madrid’s Barajas Airport
Police searched the apartment belonging to former FA president Rubiales last month
Speculation rose overnight the 46-year-old father-of-three would be arrested and brought out of the arrivals area in handcuffs when it emerged he had rescheduled plans to return early from the Dominican Republic where Rubiales says he has spent the last few weeks for work reasons.
In the end he was spared the humiliation of a public detention in front of the TV cameras after negotiations between Spanish police officers who travelled to the Caribbean earlier this week and his lawyers.
Sources close to the ongoing case confirmed Rubiales had formally been arrested at a police station at Madrid’s main airport.
One said: ‘He was told he was under investigation and informed about the nature of that investigation after being read his rights.
‘He declined to answer questions. He was subsequently allowed to leave.’
Last month public prosecutors involved in the ‘Kissgate’ case said they were seeking a two-and-a-half year prison sentence for Rubiales.
They said in an indictment sent to Madrid-based judge Francisco de Jorge they wanted him jailed for a year if he was found guilty at trial of sexual assault and another 18 months for coercion linked to his alleged attempts to get the footballer to speak out in his defence following his World Cup kiss.
Around the same time Spanish public prosecutors asked for Rubiales to be arrested over alleged financial irregularities while he was in charge of the Spanish FA.
Spanish Civil Guards stand awaiting the arrival of Rubiales at Madrid’s airport on Wednesday
Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips without her consent following Spain’s World Cup success
Prosecutors in Spain are pushing for Rubiales to receive a 2.5-year prison term over ‘Kissgate’
His home in the southern Spanish city of Granada was one of several properties searched on March 20 but he was already in the Caribbean.
Rubiales had already said he would return to Spain and insisted it would be on April 6 but overnight it emerged he had changed his travel plans.
He brought forward his voluntary return after a Spanish police operation in the Dominican Republic on Monday with assistance from local officers.
Officers from the Civil Guard’s Central Operative Unit, a specialist division of the police force responsible for investigation and prosecution of the most serious forms of crime and organised crime, are said to have confiscated his phone and a laptop during a reported search of the property he has been staying at on the Caribbean island.
Overnight respected Spanish daily El Mundo said police investigators have concluded Rubiales diverted at least £3.24million (€3.8 million) from the Spanish FA to a construction firm that paid him kickbacks through a company controlled by a close friend.
Rubiales has denied any wrongdoing in both the ongoing corruption probe and the ‘Kissgate’ case.
In a TV interview with Spanish journalist Ana Pastor, set to be screened tonight on Spanish broadcaster La Sexta, he will deny allegations he embezzled millions of pounds from the Spanish FA and insist: ‘My money is the product of my work and my savings.’
Spain international footballer Hermoso pictured arriving at court in Madrid back in January
He is also expected to accuse the judge who charged him with coercion and sexual assault over his ‘unwanted’ Jenni Hermoso kiss of manipulation by saying: ‘I think his way of describing my words is manipulative.’
A first clip of the interview released overnight shows Rubiales, who went to the Dominican Republic earlier this year for work reasons, reacting angrily to claims by Ana Pastor his defence has involved attacking the football player.
In a subsequent clip he insisted of his infamous kiss: ‘I cannot understand that anyone could think this was a sexual assault’ before rejecting any coercion by saying: ‘I only spoke 10 or 15 seconds with Miss Hermoso.’
Pastor was on the same plane as the former Spanish FA chief and described the flight from the Dominican Republic as ‘eventful’ saying there had been turbulence and several people had fainted.
Defiant Rubiales promised to ‘defend his innocence’ after announcing on September 10 last year he was quitting as Spanish FA president following the ‘Kissgate’ scandal. He was subsequently banned from football by FIFA for three years.
He tweeted as his resignation decision to resign was made public: ‘I will defend my honourability. I will defend my innocence.
‘I have faith in the future. I have faith in the truth. Thanks to everybody.’
He finished his tweet by posting a photo of the Spanish flag.
Rubiales sparked more outrage after footage emerged of him grabbing his crotch while celebrating Spain’s win in the vicinity of Spanish Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter
The incident completely overshadowed Spain’s World Cup win and sparked outrage across the football world – igniting one of the worst crises in the history of the sport in Spain
Rubiales, who had apologised for grabbing his crotch during the post-final World Cup celebrations in front of Spain’s Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter, had said in a lengthy statement before announcing his decision to quit: ‘The spontaneity and happiness of the historic moment led us to carry out a mutual and consensual act, a product of great enthusiasm.
‘At no time was there any aggression, indeed, there was not even the slightest discomfort, but an overflowing joy in both of us.’
Rubiales’ 72-year-old mum Angeles Bejar went on hunger strike at a church in her son’s hometown of Motril near Granada for two days after being rushed to hospital 48 hours into her protest.
She said at the time she had launched it to get Jenni to ‘tell the truth’ about the kiss.
Speaking from the inside of the church before falling ill, she said: ‘I just want the truth to be told.
Rubiales’ 72-year-old mum Angeles Bejar (left) went on hunger strike at a church in her son’s hometown of Motril near Granada for two days
‘She knows my son is very honest. If she tells the truth everything will be fixed.’
No date for his trial over his Jenni Hermoso kiss has yet been announced.
Rubiales has not been formally charged with any crime as part of Operation Brody, the ongoing probe linked to alleged irregularities while he was still Spanish FA president.
A judge is however investigating him on suspicion of crimes including corruption, money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation.
