PARIS (Reuters) – The Paris prosecutor’s office announced on Friday the opening of a judicial investigation against X for “extortion with a weapon in an organized gang” and “kidnapping and kidnapping”, in particular, following a complaint from the midfielder of the Blues Paul Pogba against one of his brothers, Mathias, and childhood friends.
The footballer had seized the Turin prosecutor’s office on July 16 of these facts, which would have been committed between March and July 2022.
“Following the initial investigations, the Paris public prosecutor’s office today opened a judicial investigation against X counts of extortion with a weapon in an organized gang, kidnapping or kidnapping with release before the seventh day in an organized gang to prepare or facilitate the commission of a crime or misdemeanor and participation in a criminal association with a view to committing a crime”, specifies the Paris prosecutor in a press release.
The investigations initiated on August 3 in France, after a report from the Italian justice system, will continue within the framework of a judicial investigation entrusted to two investigating magistrates of the Paris Court of Justice, adds Laure Beccuau.
According to several media, Paul Pogba, who was heard in early August by French investigators, said he was forced to pay 100,000 euros to childhood friends last spring. His brother Mathias, who strongly challenged the footballer at the end of August on social networks, would be among the alleged racketeers.
(Written by Sophie Louet, edited by Marc Angrand)
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