Latest news with #FernandoBurlando
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Diego Maradona's daughters' lawyer reveals gruesome details of his 'abandonment' death 'amid the smell of urine and faeces'
Gruesome details about Diego Maradona 's 'abandonment' death have emerged with the football legend said to have passed away amid the smell of 'urine and faeces'. Maradona died at the age of 60 in November 2020 following a heart attack, just two weeks after he was released from hospital following surgery for a bleed on his brain. His family have accused the medical team who oversaw his care of negligence, a cover-up and derogatory comments - calling it a 'mafia'. Seven medical professionals are currently on trial for culpable homicide - roughly equivalent to involuntary manslaughter - but have denied the charges. They are facing prison sentences of between eight and 25 years. However, there was a shock twist when the case was declared a mistrial on Thursday, after one of the three judges overseeing proceedings stepped down following criticism surrounding her participation in an upcoming documentary. Her two fellow judges opted to restart the entire case from scratch. Morbid details on Maradona's condition before his passing were revealed during the trial. Indeed, it emerged he had suffered an agonising 12-hour death in a dark room, struggling to breathe after his heart swelled to double that of a regular size. Now, Fernando Burlando, the lawyer who represents Maradona's daughters, Dalma and Gianinna, has shed further light on the alleged negligence of his medical team. Speaking on Mirtha Legrand's show, he bluntly said: 'He died amidst the smell of urine and faeces.' Burlando then added that Maradona had been 'deeply sedated' by doctors, before claiming the medics purposefully isolated him from his loved ones. Burlando also shockingly alleged Maradona's phone number was changed constantly, and that his daughters' numbers were saved under different names so that he would not recognise them when they tried to call. He said: 'When Dalma or Gianinna arrived, Diego's face would transform, he would become a different person, his eyes would light up. 'But Diego didn't understand why they didn't call him. '"Why don't you call me?" he asked one of his daughters. They told him they did it all the time, but their calls didn't appear on his phone.' Burlando concluded: 'I doubt everything, and this deserves a serious investigation. Maradona was abandoned, isolated, and delivered to the worst possible end.' It was revealed earlier in the trial that four-and-a-half litres of fluid had accumulated in his organs due to an acute pulmonary edema brought on by heart failure. Forensic expert Carlos Mauricio Casinelli showed pictures of brain clots, a 'sign of agony', and claimed his heart weighed 503 grams - more than a football. Argentinian newspaper Clarin carried the horrifying details which became public, with Casinelli claiming that his torture would have been easy to spot for days. 'The heart was completely covered in fat and blood clots, which indicate agony,' he said. 'This is a patient who had been collecting water over the days; that's not acute. 'This was something that was foreseeable. Any doctor examining a patient would find this. The water he had in his abdomen, in both pleurae, and in his heart isn't normal. 'It doesn't form in a day or an hour. It's been forming over several days. It could have been from the time he was expelled (from hospital) until he died. 'This is likely to take at least 10 days, given the addition of cirrhosis and myocarditis.' Maradona had struggled with drug addiction, obesity and alcoholism for decades, and reportedly came close to death in 2000 and 2004. But prosecutors suspect that - were it not for the negligence of his doctors - his death could have been avoided. Maradona's cause of death was officially listed as 'acute pulmonary edema secondary to exacerbated chronic heart failure'.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Mistrial ruled in case against Diego Maradona's medical team, lawyers say
By Lucila Sigal , Reuters Dalma, left, and Gianinna Maradona, daughters of Diego Maradona, say goodbye to their lawyer Fernando Burlando after a trial hearing in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, on May 29, 2025. Photo: AFP / Tomas Cuesta The homicide case against Diego Maradona's medical team was declared a mistrial, their lawyers said on Thursday. The 2020 death of the football star who led the Argentine team to World Cup victory from heart failure while he was recovering from surgery shook the nation. Seven members of his medical team were charged with negligent homicide in a trial that began on 11 March. The defendants have denied the charges of "simple homicide with eventual intent" in Maradona's treatment. They were facing prison sentences of between eight and 25 years. The date for the new trial was not initially announced and new judges were not nominated. The Thursday decision came after one of three judges in the case, Judge Julieta Makintach, resigned on Tuesday in the face of allegations of an ethical breach. Video surfaced showing her apparently being interviewed by a camera crew as part of a documentary in the corridors of the Buenos Aires courthouse and in her office, which breached judicial rules. "This is all a great embarrassment," defence attorney Miguel Angel Pierri told media outside the courthouse. -Reuters
Al Jazeera
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Argentinian judge withdraws from a negligence trial about Maradona's death
One of the three judges presiding over a negligence trial related to the death of Argentinian football player Diego Maradona has resigned, leaving the case's future uncertain. On Tuesday, Judge Julieta Makintach announced she would recuse herself after reports emerged that she had participated in a documentary about Maradona's death and its aftermath. 'This is a judicial tragedy,' said Fernando Burlando, a lawyer for Maradona's eldest daughters, Dalma and Gianinna. Judges are largely forbidden from taking part in interviews and other public commentary while proceedings are ongoing. Since March 11, Makintach has been part of a three-judge panel weighing the fate of seven healthcare workers who tended to Maradona during his final days. The seven have been charged with negligent homicide following Maradona's death by cardiac arrest in 2020 at age 60. It is a high-profile case that has stirred a great deal of scrutiny in Argentina. Maradona is a national hero, having led the national football squad to a World Cup victory in 1986. His performance in that year's World Cup tournament has since become the stuff of sporting legend. Even a foul he committed during the quarterfinal has been dubbed the 'Hand of God', since it led to an Argentinian victory over England – a rival with whom the country had an ongoing territorial dispute. In 2000, the football governing body, FIFA, named Maradona one of its two 'Players of the Century', alongside Brazil's Pele. But Maradona struggled with addiction, and he passed away shortly after undergoing brain surgery for a blood clot. The circumstances of his death, in turn, led to questions about whether the football player received adequate medical care in his final days. The seven defendants include a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, nurses and other healthcare professionals who attended to him. They face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. An eighth person is expected to face court separately. More than 190 witnesses are expected to testify against the seven main defendants. One coroner already told the court in March that Maradona's death 'was foreseeable' and that the football player likely died in 'agony'. But the trial was brought to a halt last week when one of the key defendants, Leopoldo Luque, called for Judge Makintach to be removed from the bench. Luque was a neurosurgeon and a personal doctor to Maradona when he died. Luque's lawyer, Julio Rivas, told the court that his client had been approached by the BBC, a British news company, to take part in the documentary. Through that interaction, Rivas explained they found out that the documentary's production company had ties to Judge Makintach's brother, Juan Makintach. Police also indicated that they had seen a camera in the courtroom, allegedly approved by Judge Makintach. On May 20, prosecutor Patricio Ferrari called for the trial to be paused for a week while the incident was reviewed. Footage was presented to the court from the documentary, showing the start of the trial. It appeared to feature the judge as a central figure. Judge Makintach has denied wrongdoing. But Ferrari argued, 'The situation compromises the prestige of the judiciary.' It is unclear whether a new judge will replace Makintach in the coming months.
Malay Mail
27-05-2025
- Malay Mail
Justice or show? Maradona death trial at risk of collapse over judge's role; lawyer claims she was more like an ‘actress'
SAN ISIDRO (Argentina), May 27 — More than two months after it started, the trial of seven Argentine health professionals accused in the death of football legend Diego Maradona hangs in the balance over questions about a judge's impartiality. The trial was suspended last week after defense lawyers said the judge's involvement in a documentary related to the case constituted a possible breach of her duty, influence peddling and even bribery. The possible removal of Julieta Makintach, one of three judges presiding over the case, risks nullifying the proceedings. Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at age 60, while recovering at home from brain surgery for a blood clot after decades battling cocaine and alcohol addictions. He died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema two weeks after going under the knife, and was found dead in bed by his day nurse. Maradona's medical team is on trial in the Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro over the conditions of his convalescence at a private home. Prosecutors have described the football icon's care in his last days as grossly negligent. The trial is set to reconvene Tuesday, where at least one lawyer is expected to ask for Makintach's recusal. If she is removed from the case, it must be determined whether she can simply be replaced, or whether the trial must start afresh with a new panel of judges. 'This is a scandal of such magnitude that the whole world is talking about Argentine justice as the worst example,' Fernando Burlando, a lawyer for Maradona's daughters, told local radio last week. At issue is the alleged use of cameras in the courtroom in violation of a ban on filming the trial. Makintach had denied participating in or authorizing any filming, but footage shared in Argentine media over the weekend shows her allegedly being interviewed by a film crew on the eve of the trial starting. 'Compromised' A producer, in a deposition seen by AFP, said they were filming a documentary about Makintach, as 'a judge and a woman,' but not the trial itself. Burlando rejected the explanation and said he would ask for Makintach's recusal on Tuesday. 'She did not act like a judge but like an actress,' he charged. 'Everyone now feels that this (trial) is compromised,' added Mario Baudry, the lawyer for Maradona's ex-partner Veronica Ojeda. 'It's healthiest to start over from scratch,' he added. The defendants risk prison terms between eight and 25 years if convicted of 'homicide with possible intent' – pursuing a course of action despite knowing it could lead to death. The case so far has focused on the decision by Maradona's doctors to allow him to recuperate at home with minimal supervision and medical equipment, instead of a medical facility. In her testimony, Maradona's daughter Gianinna said her father's carers had kept him in 'a dark, ugly and lonely' place and claimed they seemed more interested in money than his welfare. — AFP
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Maradona death trial in peril with judge under microscope
More than two months after it started, the trial of seven Argentine health professionals accused in the death of football legend Diego Maradona hangs in the balance over questions about a judge's impartiality. The trial was suspended last week after defense lawyers said the judge's involvement in a documentary related to the case constituted a possible breach of her duty, influence peddling and even bribery. The possible removal of Julieta Makintach, one of three judges presiding over the case, risks nullifying the proceedings. Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at age 60, while recovering at home from brain surgery for a blood clot after decades battling cocaine and alcohol addictions. He died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema two weeks after going under the knife, and was found dead in bed by his day nurse. Maradona's medical team is on trial in the Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro over the conditions of his convalescence at a private home. Prosecutors have described the football icon's care in his last days as grossly negligent. The trial is set to reconvene Tuesday, where at least one lawyer is expected to ask for Makintach's recusal. If she is removed from the case, it must be determined whether she can simply be replaced, or whether the trial must start afresh with a new panel of judges. "This is a scandal of such magnitude that the whole world is talking about Argentine justice as the worst example," Fernando Burlando, a lawyer for Maradona's daughters, told local radio last week. At issue is the alleged use of cameras in the courtroom in violation of a ban on filming the trial. Makintach had denied participating in or authorizing any filming, but footage shared in Argentine media over the weekend shows her allegedly being interviewed by a film crew on the eve of the trial starting. - 'Compromised' - A producer, in a deposition seen by AFP, said they were filming a documentary about Makintach, as "a judge and a woman," but not the trial itself. Burlando rejected the explanation and said he would ask for Makintach's recusal on Tuesday. "She did not act like a judge but like an actress," he charged. "Everyone now feels that this (trial) is compromised," added Mario Baudry, the lawyer for Maradona's ex-partner Veronica Ojeda. "It's healthiest to start over from scratch," he added. The defendants risk prison terms between eight and 25 years if convicted of "homicide with possible intent" -- pursuing a course of action despite knowing it could lead to death. The case so far has focused on the decision by Maradona's doctors to allow him to recuperate at home with minimal supervision and medical equipment, instead of a medical facility. In her testimony, Maradona's daughter Gianinna said her father's carers had kept him in "a dark, ugly and lonely" place and claimed they seemed more interested in money than his welfare. pbl-mry/mlr/st
