Diego Maradona death case moves into closing stage as defence witnesses prepare to give evidence

The trial into the death of Diego Armando Maradona is entering its final stages, with defence witnesses due to begin appearing before the court on Thursday.

The first witness is expected to be Dr Antonio Jose Maya, a surgeon, forensic doctor and expert witness for the defence of Leopoldo Luque, the neurosurgeon accused of responsibility for Maradona’s medical care.

Maya was also a member of the multidisciplinary medical panel established in 2021 to examine the circumstances surrounding the former Argentina captain’s death.

The prosecution and civil plaintiffs completed the presentation of their evidence last Tuesday, when experts Jose Luis Covelli and Ramiro Laria gave their conclusions. Both men are members of the same medical panel and said the conduct of the professionals responsible for Maradona’s health had been “inadequate, deficient and reckless”.

Covelli, a specialist in psychiatry and forensic medicine, and Laria, a clinical doctor, told the court that Maradona should have been admitted to a medical facility after his final operation rather than being treated at home.

Maya took a different view in 2021, saying Maradona’s death had been sudden and that he had no previous history of coronary heart disease that would have made it foreseeable.

However, cardiologist Gustavo De Niro, who also served on the medical panel, told the court in mid-August that the professionals caring for Maradona had ignored several warning signs consistent with heart failure.

De Niro said those signs became apparent during the final two weeks of Maradona’s life. They included fluid accumulation, breathing difficulties and changes in his level of consciousness.

The cardiologist also referred to tachycardia and high blood pressure recorded by nurses. He said that if a patient arrived at his own clinic with those readings, “he would give him medication”.

Maradona died on 25 November 2020 while receiving home care at a property on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Earlier that month, he had undergone surgery to treat a subdural haematoma in his head.

Medical panel at centre of trial

Following his death, the judicial authorities created a multidisciplinary medical panel made up of official experts, including forensic doctors, a cardiologist, two psychiatrists, a toxicologist, a nephrologist and a hepatologist. Experts representing both the defence and the prosecution also took part.

Evidence heard during the trial established that the doctors directly responsible for Maradona’s care included Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov. Both have been charged.

From Thursday, the court will hear from medical-panel experts called by those defendants, as well as other witnesses presented by the remaining defence teams.

Alongside Luque and Cosachov, the defendants include Nancy Forlini, home-care coordinator at Swiss Medical; psychologist Carlos Diaz; doctor Pedro Di Spagna; nursing coordinator Mariano Perroni; and nurse Ricardo Almiron.

All the defendants are accused of simple homicide with prior intent.

The court proceedings have examined whether Maradona’s condition was properly assessed and whether he should have remained at home after his brain operation. The defence evidence is now due to be heard as the case moves towards its decisive phase.

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