Maradona trial on hold over possible medical evidence mix-up

The trial of those accused of criminal negligence for Diego Maradona's death in November 2020 was halted on Thursday due to allegations of a mix-up with kidney test results. Seven health care workers are facing charges over Maradona's care during his final days in a Buenos Aires suburb. Maradona passed away at the age of 60 after suffering heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, conditions that arise when fluid builds up in the lungs, two weeks after a brain clot surgery.

The trial, which resumed in April after being suspended last year due to a judge's alleged involvement in a clandestine documentary about the case, is investigating claims that kidney test results presented to the court originated from Maradona's father, also named Diego, who passed away in 2015. The defence argues that this test mix-up could undermine the credibility of the medical commission evaluating Maradona's death, potentially benefiting their case.

The prosecution dismisses the claim, insisting that the error does not compromise their argument. If confirmed, the test mix-up could cast doubt on the findings of the medical commission, which has criticized the care Maradona received in his final days. One of Maradona's nurses, Nancy Forlini, testified that the former football star, who struggled with cocaine abuse, suffered from chronic kidney disease that should have raised red flags for his caregivers.

There was no evidence of blood tests during Maradona's two-week home convalescence. His legal team notes that some of the kidney tests dated back to 2015, making it unlikely they were from Maradona, who was living in Dubai that year before returning to Argentina to visit his father, who died in June 2015. Another lawyer for the accused nurses, Nicolas D Albora, stated that they do not plan to request a mistrial, emphasizing the importance of resolving the case to determine his client's judicial fate.