Diego Maradona's doctor denies responsibility for his death as Argentine officials search home
Diego Maradona died of a heart attack on Wednesday at the age of 60; his passing led to outpouring of emotion and tributes from across world football; justice officials will investigate the circumstances of his death to determine if there was any wrongdoing
Monday 30 November 2020 08:24, UK
Argentine justice officials seized medical files from the doctor of Diego Maradona on Sunday as part of an investigation into his death.
The search order was requested 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.
Former Argentina, Barcelona and Napoli star Maradona died at age 60 on Wednesday after a heart attack - and his doctor Leopoldo Luque has said he is not responsible for his death.
"They took the clinical files," Luque told local television after law enforcement officers searched his home and office. "There was no medical error."
Maradona had struggled for years with substance abuse issues. "I did the best I could with Diego. He needed help," Luque said.
The prosecutor's office provided no information on what prompted the investigation, but a statement said: "Yesterday (Saturday) the investigation and substantiation of evidence continued with the taking of statements from people including direct relatives of the deceased.
"By virtue of the evidence that was collected, it was considered necessary to request searches at the home and office of doctor Leopoldo Luque."
Maradona's lawyer Matias Moria said he would ask for a full investigation of the circumstances of the football legend's death, criticizing what he said was a slow response by emergency services.
"The ambulance took more than half an hour to arrive, which was a criminal idiocy," he said on Twitter on Thursday.
Maradona died of a heart attack in a house outside Buenos Aires, where he had been recovering from a brain operation earlier this month. He had suffered from a long series of medical issues, some related to overindulgence in drugs and alcohol.
The football world has spent the days since mourning his death, with Naples a scene of testament to the player that took Napoli to the Serie A title.
