Diego Maradona's doctors could face 25 years imprisonment after cops opened a murder investigation into the football star's death.
The probe was launched shortly after the soccer legend was found lifeless in bed at his rented home last November.
State prosecutors in Argentina had classified it as a manslaughter investigation.
But today it emerged it has been reclassified following a damning report by a medical board which concluded Maradona’s care team acted “inadequately, deficiently and recklessly”.
Diego’s doctor Leopoldo Luque and his psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov are among seven health professionals told they are now under formal investigation on suspicion of a type of homicide.
They face an accusation they acted in a way they knew could lead to someone’s death but did nothing to avoid it.
A conviction would carry a prison sentence of between eight and 25 years under Argentinian law – far more than the one to five years they would have faced if convicted on the lesser charge.
Luque, who is denying any wrongdoing, is also facing a charge of employing a ‘doctored document’ over claims he used a forged Diego Maradona signature to ask a hospital for his medical records.
No formal charges have yet been laid.
The seven health professionals will now receive formal summons so they can be questioned under oath from May 31.
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Prosecutors have also asked a judge to ban them from leaving Argentina ahead of the interrogations.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 years ago
