Former Osasuna President Miguel Archanco has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into financial irregularities at the Segunda club.
The 65-year-old was detailed in the early hours of Thursday along with ex-general manager Angel Vizcay and director Txuma Peralta on the orders of a Pamplona court, which also issued police a search warrant for Archanco’s house.
The court is currently investigating the location of at least €2.4m withdrawn from the club’s bank accounts and may call the trio to testify as early as Friday on charges of misappropriation, corporate crime and the forgery of documents.
The arrests were triggered by an audit of Osasuna’s accounts, commissioned by Spain’s Professional Football League (LFP), which revealed alleged irregularities and were declared in court.
A judge at the Pamplona court was quoted by AS as demanding “the real purpose” of the payments made on June 1 2013 to Cristina Valencia and Alberto Nolla, both of which amounted to €900,000, and “the identity of the alleged sports agent”, who received €76,000.
Furthermore, the judge requested clarification on both the €1.44m paid to Flefield for “services” and a separate €1.35m withdrawal in November 2013, amidst allegations that these payments were made with the intention of funding match-fixing activities in La Liga last season.
Archanco was Osasuna’s President between 2012 and 2014 and spent the prior decade as a director under predecessor Patxi Izco.
Peralta worked behind the scenes during Archanco’s reign at the helm, while Vizcay served 24 years at the club under the mandate of six Presidents.
