Dani Alves is released from prison 14 months later after paying one million euros

The Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) reported mid-morning that the account of section 21 of the Provincial Court already recorded the deposit of the former Brazilian soccer player's bail. And, consequently, he could be released from prison 14 months later. The Barcelona Court issued a provisional release order. And the prison doors opened for Dani Alves, who handed over his two passports, the Spanish one and the Brazilian one.

It was a fleeting exit without making any statements. He looked very thin. He could have made a gesture with the rape victim, but he preferred to remain silent. Barely 20 seconds from when the door of the penitentiary center opened until the former soccer player, accompanied by his lawyer, Inés Guardiola, got into a car (a utility vehicle, not the ones sported by soccer players) and left the prison facility. On his way out, he came across a protest by prison officials, on a warpath against the Generalitat since two weeks ago a cook at the Mas d'Enric prison (Tarragona) was murdered by a prisoner with a knife. . She didn't even give them half a glance.

The provisional release order reminded him of his obligation to appear before the Barcelona Court every Friday and that he must provide a telephone number to be reachable. The court also warned him of the “express prohibition on leaving Spanish territory.” The Provincial Court has notified the Brazilian Consulate, in case it requests the issuance of a new passport. “Inform the Security Forces to guarantee that he does not leave Spain, with European scope,” stated the order, which warned the former soccer player that failure to comply with these obligations would lead him back to provisional prison. He also insisted that he has a restraining order against the victim.

Alves has been provisionally released since this Monday and will be able to wait at his home in Barcelona for the TSJC to resolve the appeals presented by the parties against the sentence that sentenced him to four and a half years in prison for raping a young woman in a nightclub in Barcelona. in December 2022. His lawyer requests acquittal in the appeal, while the Prosecutor's Office demands that the sentence be increased to 9 years and the private prosecution, up to 12.

The Prosecutor's Office and the victim have also appealed his release from prison, but the justice system will no longer resolve it urgently. According to the Public Ministry, there is a “high risk of flight.” In his opinion, this danger cannot be mitigated by the adoption of alternative measures, such as the withdrawal of passports and the obligation to appear weekly at court. The Prosecutor's Office stressed in its appeal that the former soccer player has no roots in Spain and that if he flees to Brazil, the South American country “does not extradite nationals convicted of crimes of sexual assault.”

A transfer

It took Dani Alves five days to raise one million euros. The former Brazilian soccer player first turned to his friend Neymar, with whom he met at Barça, PSG and the Brazil national team. Neymar's father helped him with the 150,000 bail that he deposited during the investigation and which helped him pay compensation to the victim. But on this occasion, he has refused to pay the million euros. “The situation is different,” said Neymar's family in a statement to inform about his refusal to leave him money. «For us, for my family, this matter is over. Final point », he pointed out.

Alves has his assets seized by another court case in Brazil. But he won a lawsuit against the Tax Agency, which has to return almost nine million euros. Initially, there was talk that he had presented a bank guarantee. However, the former culé player sent a transfer to the court account. The judge who signed a vote against the decision of the Barcelona Court that allowed his release from prison said that even though his defense stated that he has two accounts, one with a 0 balance and another with 51,000 euros, and another with a negative balance , in addition to a debt with the Treasury of 645,000 euros, “continues to have great economic capacity.”

«It has been proven that the property in Esplugues de Llobregat was acquired for five million euros and the case also includes the contract with Pumas de México, which meant considerable income, without taking into account those coming from the contracts signed with various brands. advertising”, according to the magistrate. «He is known for being public and well-known that he has played high-level professional football. The assets and financial income known to him prevent us from considering that he could find himself in a situation of economic difficulty or ruin,” he concluded. When setting the amount of bail, the court took into account, according to the resolution, that “a situation of comfortable financial solvency can be presumed.”