The trial concerning the death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona was suspended on Thursday, August 20, after defense lawyers claimed that kidney test results presented to the court belonged to his father, who died in 2015. The court will reconvene on August 27 to verify whether the tests "correspond to Diego Armando Maradona or someone else," according to presiding judge Alberto Gaig.
Background of the Case
Seven healthcare workers face accusations of criminal negligence over the care Maradona received before his death at age 60 in November 2020, while recovering from brain surgery. The first trial was annulled last year after two-and-a-half months of hearings due to revelations that one of the judges participated in a clandestine documentary about the case.
A fresh trial began in April and was nearing its conclusion when the latest controversy emerged. The defense argued that kidney test evidence produced at the trial belonged to Maradona's father, also named Diego, who died in 2015, not the 1986 World Cup star.
Medical Evidence Disputed
Maradona died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema—a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs—at a rented home in the Buenos Aires suburb of Tigre, two weeks after undergoing surgery for a brain clot. His medical team is accused of providing inadequate care in the lead-up to his death and denies the charges.
Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari said Thursday, "They (the defense) will not succeed in bringing down the trial," arguing that the alleged test mix-up does not jeopardize their case. However, if confirmed that the test results were those of Maradona's father, it could discredit the medical commission set up to evaluate the circumstances of his death, boosting the defense. The commission has been highly critical of the care Maradona received in his final days.
Expert Testimony and Defense Claims
On Tuesday, a nephrologist testified that the former player, who had a history of cocaine abuse, was suffering from chronic kidney disease, which should have acted as a red flag for his carers. The doctor added that the patient should have undergone daily blood tests, but there was no evidence of any blood being taken during his two weeks of home convalescence.
Agustin Varela, a lawyer for one of the accused, nurse Nancy Forlini, noted that some kidney tests dated back to 2015 and could not have been Maradona the player's because he was not living in Argentina at that time. Maradona spent most of 2015 in Dubai before traveling to Argentina to see his father, Diego Salustiano Maradona, who died in June 2015.
Another of Forlini's lawyers, Nicolas D'Albora, denied any plans to seek a mistrial, stating, "I want this case to end so that my client knows her judicial fate." The court adjourned until August 27 to check the test results, with the outcome potentially affecting the credibility of the medical commission and the overall trial.
