Advertisement

Argentine prosecutors probe Maradona death

Argentine justice officials have seized medical files from the doctor of Diego Maradona as part of their investigation into the recent death of the soccer star.

Maradona died at age 60 last Wednesday, after a heart attack.

The search order was requested on Sunday (local time) by prosecutors in the affluent Buenos Aires suburb San Isidro and signed by a local judge, according to a statement issued by the prosecutor’s office.

“Yesterday (Saturday) the investigation and substantiation of evidence continued with the taking of statements from people including direct relatives of the deceased,” it said.

“By virtue of the evidence that was collected, it was considered necessary to request searches at the home and office of doctor Leopoldo Luque,” the prosecutor’s office said in the statement.

The prosecutor’s office provided no information on what prompted the investigation.

“They took the clinical files,” Dr Luque told local television after law enforcement officers searched his home and office.

“There was no medical error,” he said, adding that he was not responsible for the death of the soccer player who catapulted to international fame and semi-divine status at home after leading the Argentine team that won the 1986 World Cup.

Maradona had struggled for years with substance abuse issues.

“I did the best I could with Diego. He needed help,” Dr Luque said.

Maradona was also recovering from emergency surgery for a blood clot on the brain in early November.

His lawyer, Matias Moria, said on Thursday that he would ask for a full investigation of the circumstances of the soccer legend’s death, criticising what he said was a slow response by emergency service.

“The ambulance took more than half an hour to arrive, which was a criminal idiocy,” Mr Matias said in a Twitter post.

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.