The trial over the fake Equatorial Guinea passports used during the 2014-15 ACB season by Marcus Slaughter<\/strong>, then with Real Madrid, and Andy Panko<\/strong>, then with Fuenlabrada, has ended with three convictions.<\/p>\n Panko<\/strong>, former Equatorial Guinean player Richard Nguema<\/strong>, who had the contacts to arrange and obtain the documents, and Juli\u00e1n Aranda<\/strong>, the Spanish representative of Beo Basket, the agency representing both players, were found responsible for forgery of an official document and forgery of a certificate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The verdict can still be appealed. Slaughter was not tried<\/strong>, as authorities were unable to serve him with the summons and he did not appear at the trial.<\/p>\n Former Real Madrid assistant coach Hugo L\u00f3pez<\/strong> was acquitted.<\/p>\n The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence against him beyond a number of indications, including providing Nguema’s phone number, speaking with Aranda by telephone and a subsequent conversation.<\/p>\n The case emerged after Panko submitted an Equatorial Guinea passport to the ACB, which would have granted him European-player status under the Cotonou Agreement.<\/p>\n However, the passport had the same number as Slaughter’s document<\/strong>. The Spanish Basketball Federation alerted authorities, eventually leading to the discovery that both passports were fake.<\/p>\n The documents could provide an advantage in the management of non-EU players. Slaughter was the only one of the two players who actually benefited from the status, although he was registered as an American again for the playoffs.<\/p>\n Real Madrid already had two non-EU players in Gustavo Ay\u00f3n and Facundo Campazzo<\/strong>, with only two allowed to be active at the same time. When Slaughter was registered again as an American, Campazzo was left out of the playoffs.<\/p>\n For forgery of an official document<\/strong>, Nguema received 10 months in prison and five months of fines<\/strong>, with a daily rate of \u20ac10.<\/p>\n Panko and Aranda were each sentenced to five months in prison and four months of fines<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For forgery of a certificate<\/strong>, Nguema received a five-month fine, while Panko and Aranda were each given two months and 15 days of fines<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Barcelona<\/strong>, who lost the 2015 Liga final to Real Madrid, appeared in the trial as a private prosecutor.<\/p>\nHugo L\u00f3pez acquitted<\/h3>\n
The identical passport number<\/h3>\n
The sentences<\/h3>\n
Barcelona joined the case<\/h3>\n