CNN —FC Barcelona and several of the soccer club’s current and former executives are officially being investigated as suspects for “the sustained crime of active bribery,” according to a court document obtained by CNN – the latest twist in an alleged improper payment scandal overshadowing Spanish soccer. The investigation relates to alleged improper payments made by Barcelona to José María Enríquez Negreira, a former leading refereeing official in Spain. The spokesperson declined to share more details about the search but said that no arrests are expected to be made. He added that in his opinion the payments “produced the desired effects on referees,” resulting in “consequent systemic corruption in … Spanish refereeing” affecting soccer in the country. CNN has reached out to Negreira via his company for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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Persons: “, –, Javier Soriano, invoiced, Negreira, ” Judge Joaquín Aguirre López, Aguirre López, ”, Barça, Caso, Xavi, Juan Manuel Serrano Arce, Javier Tebas, Los Blancos, CNN’s Matt Foster Organizations: CNN — FC Barcelona, CNN, Spain’s Civil Guard, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Guardia Civil, An FC Barcelona, Caso, Spanish, AFP, Getty, Prosecutors, CTA, 1st, La Liga, Barcelona, Osasuna, Civil Guard, Real, Real Madrid, UEFA Locations: Barcelona, Spain, Guardia, Spanish, Real Madrid