The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) is analyzing a complaint from the AC association!! Anti-Corruption, received on November 27, denouncing a possible misappropriation of public funds during the creation of the commercial company of the Professional Football League (LFP), a judicial source communicated to Agence France-Presse on Wednesday, January 31 ( AFP), confirming information from The Team.
“With our lawyer, Vincent Poudampa, we considered that an investigation should be opened” to determine if there was a misappropriation of public money, Marcel Claude, president of AC!!, told AFP!! Anti Corruption.
The LFP commercial company was created after a partial transfer of capital to the Luxembourg investment fund CVC Capital Partners. The agreement concluded in April 2022 by the LFP with the CVC should bring 1.5 billion euros to French professional football, compared to 13.04% of its lifetime income for CVC. The distribution between the clubs of the windfall resulting from this agreement is contested in court in a separate procedure by the Le Havre club, which considers itself cheated.
In the medium term, the stated objective of the partnership is to better promote audiovisual rights (the LFP hopes to multiply its revenues by 2.3 in the next eight years, to reach 1.8 billion euros), particularly in foreign and digital.
A senatorial fact-finding mission in a few weeks
The Senate has announced that it will launch an information mission in the coming weeks on “the implementation and financial means of the creation of this commercial company”communicated Monday, January 29, Senator Laurent Lafon, member of the centrist group and president of the Senate culture, education and sport committee.
In the current context of negotiations still underway for the allocation of audiovisual rights for Ligue 1, “we want to know what added value this commercial company brings to the file”he explained.
This information mission will be equipped ” probably “ commission of inquiry powers, which will give it expanded prerogatives, in its investigation as well as in its hearings, said Mr. Lafon. She will then have six months to conduct her hearings and produce a report.
An information mission “cannot in principle relate to an ongoing criminal investigation. The procedure for creating fact-finding missions provides for consultation with the Ministry of Justice to ensure compliance with this principle.the judicial source reminded AFP.