Le Monde and Blast reported the statements of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, president of PSG, in the investigation into suspicions of “dirty dealings” around the capital club.
“Dirty business” with “lots of lies, cover-ups, subterfuges”. Nasser Al-Khelaïfi was heard “as a victim” on May 13 by investigating judges Serge Tournaire and Vincent Lemonier as part of the investigation into suspected “dirty dealings” around Paris Saint-Germain. This complex case has been under investigation since September 2022 in Paris. It originally concerned potential transmissions of confidential personal information from police files. It now also covers accusations of blackmail concerning the private life of the Qatari president of PSG and the audiovisual group beIN Media.
According to newspaper information The world and the site BlastNasser Al-Khelaïfi claimed during his hearing that he was often away from the Paris Saint-Germain offices. “I can’t do day-to-day management,” he said, thus denying that he was aware of the facts attributed to several former employees of the club who are now under investigation. He also specified that his former deputy general manager Jean-Claude Blanc, now head of the Ineos group, “had all the powers” and that he “reported but not everything.”
He also denied accusations of destruction of evidence and sensitive information made by his former butler Hicham Karmoussi. “All this is nonsense. (…) I have nothing to hide,” he dismissed, judging that the allegations were the stuff of a “Hollywood movie.”
Spying and intimate recording
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi also spoke about the “blackmail” that he denounces and attributes in part to Hicham Karmoussi and lobbyist Tayeb Benabderrahmane. The Qatari leader believes they are directly linked to a spying operation at his Parisian home, which was used in particular to clandestinely record intimate scenes with his mistress. There is also talk of photos taken in the street with this same mistress, which were offered to Paris Match magazine.
“Hicham told me that we had to buy the photos for 50,000 euros to prevent them from being released,” he said, mentioning a call from businessman Arnaud Lagardère, who owned Paris Match, to alert him to the existence of these photos.
Numerous indictments
Several people have already been indicted in this vast investigation. This is the case of Jean-Martial Ribes, former director of communications for Paris Saint-Germain, prosecuted for active corruption and influence peddling, complicity and concealment of misappropriation of the purpose of processing personal data, usurpation of the identity of a third party with a view to disturbing their peace or harming their honor and online moral harassment.
Also under investigation are: Malik Nait-Liman, former supporter representative of the club and ex-police officer of the intelligence services; the Franco-Algerian lobbyist Tayeb Benabderrahmane and police officers. Among the latter is notably a member of the regional management of the judicial police, suspected of passive corruption by a person in a position of public authority, misuse of the purpose of a file and violation of professional secrecy.
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2024-07-05 13:31:36
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