Barreto

Calcutta: Mohun Bagan, stunned by Jose Ramirez Barreto’s arrest on Thursday, stood by the Brazilian saying he was innocent and that he would come out clean from the latest controversy.

Mohun Bagan secretary Anjan Mitra pointed out that Barreto was not aware of the customs rules and the club would “do whatever possible” to make sure he could join his family in Brazil.

“The season has just ended for us and Barreto got the latest salary cheque only on Wednesday. His wife and two daughters had left for Brazil earlier this month and so Barreto had decided to carry their money as well. The maximum amount of money allowed under Foreign Exchange Management Act changes periodically and even many Indian players don’t know these changes,” Mitra said.

The club secretary, in the absence of president Swapan Sadhan Bose and other senior officials, played a key role in having the player released on bail.

Mohun Bagan assistant secretary in charge of football affairs, Debashish Dutta, later held a meeting with Barreto, assuring him that he had the club’s support.

Former players and coaches also think that Barreto made an innocent mistake and that he was not aware of the law.

“Barreto is a decent and honest man. He has never been accused of maintaining an ill-disciplined life nor has he committed a crime in the past. Perhaps he was not aware of the rules,” said former Mohun Bagan and current East Bengal coach Aloke Mukherjee.

“As far as I know, Barreto has been conscious about his role both on and off the field. Other players look to him as a role model and I’m really surprised by this development,” the former India left-back said.

Another former Mohun Bagan coach and India defender, Subrata Bhattacharya, also gave the Brazilian his vote of confidence. “It’s shocking… Barreto should come out innocent,” he said.

A section of the Maidan grapevine, however, doesn’t seem too convinced by the theory of Barreto’s ignorance about customs laws.

According to a Maidan veteran, Barreto could become a “victim” of Mohun Bagan’s internal politics. “He is not new to India and it’s a bit surprising that he isn’t aware of the laws. The incident may also highlight the need of financial transparency when a foreigner is recruited,” the official said.

Mohammedan Sporting secretary Sultan Ahmed also seemed doubtful. “It’s not for the first time that Barreto was returning to Brazil alone. He has also played in Malaysia and so it could easily be assumed that he was aware to some extent of the laws. Perhaps there is more to all this than meets the eye,” he said.

Barreto’s arrest is perhaps the most high-profile one after the Subhas Bhowmick episode. The former India forward was arrested by the CBI in December two years ago, allegedly for accepting a bribe from a businessman. Bhowmick, who was later released on bail, is now associated with Salgaocar as their technical director.