The situation is further complicated for Bernard Laporte and Mohed Altrad. Indicted for influence peddling and illegal taking of interests, the two presidents of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) and the Montpellier club will be tried next September by the Paris Criminal Court, according to information from the Team.
According to the daily, “the qualifications retained by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) in a note of December 21 would be closer to the conclusions delivered by the investigators of the Economic Crime Repression Brigade (BRDE)”, concerning the two accused. . These conclusions are the result of more than three years of investigation, several searches, hearing of several witnesses, and wiretapping of the main protagonists.
The facts date back to 2017. Bernard Laporte, re-elected as president of the FFR in October 2020, is suspected of having pressured the Federation’s appeal committee to have the sanctions imposed on Montpellier Hérault Rugby reduced in June ( MHR), the club which belongs to the Altrad group, which is also a sponsor of the French team. A contract for 150,000 euros for image services between BL Communication and Altrad Investment Authority was also mentioned.
The qualifications retained by the PNF are as follows against Bernard Laporte: “corruption by a person responsible for a public service mission, influence peddling by a public person, breach of trust to the detriment of the FFR, illegal taking of interests, concealment of misuse of corporate assets to the detriment of AIA (Altrad Investment Authority), abuse of corporate assets to the detriment of (his own company) BL Communication (current account debit). For Mohed Altrad: “active bribery of a person charged with a public service mission, active influence peddling, abuse of corporate assets to the detriment of AlA. »
Contacted by the Team, Maître Versini-Campinchi, Bernard Laporte’s lawyer, speaks of a police investigation “exclusively against” and adds: that the former coach of the Blues (2000-2007) and Secretary of State in charge of Nicolas Sarkozy’s Sports (2007-2009) will present all the elements in his defense before the trial court next September. »
In the preliminary investigation opened by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) in 2017, three other people were also placed in police custody: Serge Simon, vice-president of the FFR, Nicolas Hourquet, head of international relations for the federation, and Claude Atcher, general manager of the organizing committee for the 2023 World Cup, scheduled for France.
