Pavel Durov (Telegram) asked to have Xavier Niel notified of his police custody

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov asked to have French billionaire Xavier Niel notified on Saturday evening that he was being held in police custody, AFP learned on Thursday from a source close to the case.

Accompanied by his bodyguard and his assistant, the 39-year-old Franco-Russian billionaire founder of the messaging service was arrested on Saturday evening in the Bourget airport terminal (north of Paris) under a French search warrant, then taken into police custody.

Mr Durov was arriving from Baku (Azerbaijan) and was due to spend at least the evening in Paris, where he had planned to have dinner.

When being notified of his placement in police custody, the accused may notify his lawyer for assistance, request a doctor, remain silent and notify a person of his choice of his situation, in particular.

Pavel Durov has asked to notify Xavier Niel, founder of the telecommunications group Iliad, parent company of the operator Free, a source close to the case told AFP.

Contacted by AFP, Xavier Niel’s entourage has not yet responded.

The founder of Iliad is one of the big bosses close to President Emmanuel Macron.

According to another source close to the case, Pavel Durov mentioned during his police custody his links with the head of state in particular. The two men had lunch together in 2018.

Early Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Durov was brought before an investigating judge who charged him with “refusing to communicate information necessary for interceptions authorized by law”, complicity in offenses and crimes organized on the platform (drug trafficking, pedophilia, fraud and money laundering by an organized gang) and “provision of cryptology services aimed at ensuring confidentiality functions without a proper declaration”.

Released, Mr Durov is subject to strict judicial supervision with an obligation to pay bail of five million euros, to report twice a week to a police station and to be banned from leaving French territory.

© 2024 AFP

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