La Boca prosecutor Susana Calleja has requested that three more supporters of Boca Juniors be called in for questioning in connection to the pepper spray attack carried out in Thursday’s Superclásico by Adrián Napolitano, who had also been ordered to testify by the official.
Court sources revealed that the prosecutor asked presiding judge Francisco Ponte, overseeing the case opened following the attack on River Plate players in the Libertadores Cup game, for Gustavo Florentín, Diego Biglia and Federico Blanco to give evidence. All three of those named, as well as ‘El Panadero’ are accused of causing minor injuries.
On Tuesday, judge Ponte upheld the petition filed by Napolitano’s lawyer to spare him from police custody. The accused’s bakery in the Buenos Aires province district of Valentín Alsina and his family home were raided by Federal Police officers in search of evidence related to the attack, which was recorded in the Bombonera by cameras belonging to Fox Sports.
«We asked to be spared prison to avoid arrest and I understand that there is a request for questioning, but he will not go into custody because the punishment is too low,» Hernán Carluccio, Napolitanos attorney, clarified in declarations made to Radio América.
Carluccio also moved to deny rumours that his client was currently out of Argentina, and added that in the sole conversation he had held with Napolitano since the event he heard that he was «concerned» about his situation: «He has no open accusations, or criminal record.»
‘El Panadero’ Napolitano confessed that he was the person who threw a toxic home-made substance at River players, four of whom were treated for burns injuries following the match, through the protective sleeve which links the stadium’s away dressing room with the pitch. «I did not mean to do what I did. I knew that if this came out my world would come crashing down,» the barra member said to TyC Sports on Tuesday.
Investigators, meanwhile, are still waiting for the Federal Police to hand over the results of tests on the substance thrown over the players at the stadium entrance at half time. Calleja officially explained that the Chemical Laboratory Division has revealed the substance is capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald