Two versions of Maradona’s final hours collide in court: “I wasn’t in charge”

Argentine neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, the main defendant in the trial over the death of Diego Armando Maradona, denied all charges before the court, stating that he was “not in charge of his health.” His testimony came during a hearing at the 7th Criminal Court in San Isidro, Argentina, where he also cast doubt on the forensic conclusions included in the case file.

Luque denies charges in Maradona death trial

“I explicitly said that I was a neurosurgeon, that I was not a clinician, that I was not a psychologist. They said they would look for a clinician, and I said I completely agreed,” he stated at the outset. He later reiterated that he was “not in charge” of Maradona’s health.

The neurosurgeon focused his defense strategy on challenging the medical conclusions presented in the case, rejecting claims that Maradona suffered for an extended period before his death.

“I am innocent and I deeply regret his death,” Luque said. He also denied having met Maradona through attorney Matías Morla, the Argentine’s legal representative, who is facing separate criminal proceedings related to the exploitation of Maradona’s commercial brand.

“I am absolutely certain that he did not suffer any prolonged agony,” Luque insisted. However, the panel of medical experts – made up of ten official specialists appointed by the San Isidro District Prosecutor’s Office – concluded that Maradona showed clear signs of a prolonged period of distress and had not been properly monitored in the hours leading up to his death.

“Maradona began dying, at a minimum, 12 hours before 12:30 p.m. on November 25. He showed unmistakable signs of a prolonged agonal period, which led us to conclude that the patient was not properly monitored from 12:30 a.m. on the day of his death,” the report states.

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