Diego Maradona: police raid house and doctor's clinic.
Monday, November 30, 2020
The Buenos Aires police searched the house and private clinic of Leopoldo Luque as they sought to determine whether there was neglect in the care of Maradona after surgery.
The 60-year-old died of a heart attack in his home where he was recovering.
Dr. Luque was not charged. He denies any form of misconduct.
Maradona had a successful brain blood clot surgery earlier in November and was due to be treated for alcohol dependence.
His daughters asked for information about their dad's medicine.
What is the focus of the investigation?
About 30 police officers searched Dr. Luque's 39-year-old house on Sunday morning, and another 20 went to his clinic in Buenos Aires.
The raids were ordered by investigators seeking to make a picture of Maradona's last days at home.
Computers, cell phones and medical records have been recovered, officials say.
It is alleged that the convalescence of the star at home could not have fulfilled the requirements of its discharge from the facility, such as a 24-hour team of "specialised in substance abuse" nurses, the on-call presence of doctors, and a stand-by ambulance fitted with a defibrillator.
Officials want to know about Dr. Luque's role in Maradona's rehabilitation in the house of the late singer.
What is the line of defence of Dr. Luque?
In an emotional press conference on Sunday, Dr. Luque, who was identified as the personal doctor of the footballer, cried out, saying that he had done everything he could to save a friend's life. He said that Maradona has been really sad lately.
At one point, the doctor shot back at reporters: "You want to know what I am responsible for? For having loved him, for having taken care of him, for having extended his life, for having improved it to the end."
The doctor said he had done "everything he could, up to the impossible".
Then, answering some of the issues that the authorities are looking into, Dr. Luque cast doubt on what was actually his involvement. ''If you ask me, I'm a neurosurgeon and my job ended. I was done with him," He said that referring to November's surgery-and insisting on Maradona's convalescence at home was not his responsibility.
"He [Maradona] should have gone to a rehabilitation centre. He didn't want to," Dr Luque said, calling the late star "unmanageable".
He also said he did not know why there was no defibrillator or who was responsible for the absence of an ambulance outside Maradona's home.
And he added: Diego "was very sad, he wanted to be alone, and it's not because he didn't love his daughters, his family, or those around him".