Witness claims Maradona trial filming is for documentary about judge

Footage of a judge presiding over the case into the death of legendary former footballer Diego Maradona in Argentina is part of an "interview" and not an unauthorised documentary on the trial, according to a statement submitted to prosecutors by one of those involved in the filming.

The scandal erupted after a video showing Judge Julieta Makintach apparently filming a documentary with a friend inside the court building went viral earlier this week.

The trial into Maradona’s death was subsequently suspended last Tuesday for one week, pending an investigation into whether Makintach, one of the three judges on the case, helped facilitate the entry of cameras into hearings for a documentary that had not been approved by the parties.

Security camera footage from the court building shows Makintach accompanied by five people on Sunday, March 9 – two days before the trial officially began.

The person behind the audiovisual production, who described herself as a friend of the judge, has denied any documentary was in the works.

According to a written statement submitted to the prosecutor’s office by one of those involved in the filming – seen by the AFP news agency on Saturday – the footage recorded during the trial was part of an "interview" with the magistrate "in her role as a judge and as a woman."

The "future idea," the statement written by María Lía Vidal Alemán claims, is to write a "book" or publish something on social media about Makintach’s professional profile and the recordings had "nothing to do with the trial itself.”

"The fact that [Makintach] had been assigned as the judge in one of the most significant oral trials in our country only increased my interest in doing something about it," she added.

The filmmaker said she is a childhood friend of Makintach. Alemán said the idea for the interview emerged from their close personal bond and longstanding admiration for the judge’s career and personal resilience.

Alemán said the interview focused on Makintach’s professional journey and her role in presiding over one of the most consequential trials in Argentina’s history. The plan, she said, was to eventually create a podcast, book or social media feature – but only after the trial ended and with the judge’s formal approval.

She insisted that the "few images" recorded that captured of the judge during the trial have never been published, although she acknowledged having received help from individuals connected to the audiovisual industry during the process.

The footage was reportedly shot by José Arnal, an experienced videographer with ties to the production company La Doble SA, who was also seen present at the trial’s first hearing.

"Everything was done freely, amateurishly, and without any vested interest. We didn’t sign any sort of contract or future agreement regarding what we were planning to do," stated Alemán.

However, Alemán admitted that Makintach allowed her to film inside the courtroom once the trial had begun – a privilege denied to the press, who were only granted five minutes to capture images before proceedings commenced. 

She claimed the judge requested the camera focus exclusively on her, and only in a few select shots.

In her written testimony, Alemán expressed regret for the controversy generated by what she called a well-meaning initiative. She said she had acted in good faith and “deep innocence,” and that the project was never meant to interfere with or exploit the judicial process.

On Friday, an official source confirmed that six properties in Buenos Aires Province had been raided as part of an investigation into whether a documentary about the trial is being made.

In addition to the raids, a police officer responsible for overseeing access to the courtroom reportedly confirmed that Judge Makintach had authorised the filming. The officer named two of the four people involved in the recording.

The trial, which began on March 11, seeks to determine the medical team’s responsibility in the death of Maradona, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history.

It is being held in a court in San Isidro, north of Buenos Aires, near the home where the football legend lived when he died on November 25, 2020.

His seven-person team is on trial for what prosecutors have described as the “horror theatre” of his care in the final days of his life.

A World Cup winner with Argentina in 1986, Maradona died of pulmonary oedema while receiving medical care at home, following neurological surgery several weeks earlier. He battled cocaine and alcohol addiction for decades before he passed.

Seven defendants risk prison terms between eight and 25 years if convicted of homicide with possible malice aforethought (dolo eventual) – pursuing a course of action despite knowing it could lead to death. An eighth defendant, nurse Gisela Madrid, will be tried separately.

Prosecutors have alleged the football icon’s care in his last days as grossly negligent.

The trial is expected to last until at least July.

– TIMES/AFP/NA