European arrest warrant requested for ousted Malaga CF owner Sheikh Al-Thani and his sons

The investigating judge acted after an appeal over the family's continued lack of cooperation with the court was upheld, with prosecutors seeking to speed up the long-running criminal proceedings

Antonio Góngora

A judge has ordered the issuance of European and international arrest warrants for former Malaga CF owner Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani and his sons Nasser, Nayef and Rakan as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into their management of the club.

The decision by investigating judge María de los Ángeles Ruiz follows a ruling by the Provincial Court in favour of an appeal lodged by the public prosecutor's office. The appeal argued that the family's lack of cooperation justified bypassing the existing international judicial assistance process.

Part-owners BlueBay and the Asociación de Pequeños Accionistas (APA) also supported the request.

According to the court order, Spanish authorities must first determine whether any of the four men are in Spain. If found, they are to be arrested and remanded in custody. The judge also ordered the issue of a European arrest warrant, extended internationally so it can be enforced outside the EU.

Lack of cooperation

At present, the Al-Thani family currently cannot be reached by the court and have no legal representatives to receive notifications relating to the investigation.

Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences totalling 14 and a half years for alleged offences including misappropriation, unfair administration and abusive corporate decisions.

If the family returns to cooperate with the Spanish courts, the case could proceed to trial, potentially bringing the judicial intervention at Malaga CF closer to an end.