The trial of six relatives of former French international Paul Pogba, including his older brother, accused of having tried to extort 13 million euros from the footballer in 2022, opened Tuesday in Paris with a request for the dismissal of the defense lawyers.
When they arrived, they sat next to each other in the front row of the courtroom after all greeting each other: four childhood friends of the footballer and one of his older brothers, Mathias. Behind him, in traditional black and green clothing, Pogba’s mother. In the box, a sixth man, the only one to be in pre-trial detention.
Paul Pogba, currently suspended for doping, is absent. His lawyers announced that he did not plan to appear in court.
>> Read also: Paul Pogba’s suspension reduced to 18 months
From the opening, the defense lawyers argued for the trial to be postponed for procedural reasons while the case was being investigated. The court retired to deliberate.
Sequestration and threats
The “Pogba affair” started on the night of March 19 to 20, 2022 with an ambush set up against Paul Pogba in an apartment in Montévrain, near Paris.
Taken to the studio rented by one of his childhood friends, the 2018 world champion found himself locked up and threatened by two hooded and armed men who demanded 13 million euros from him. The confinement was followed by threats, pressure and video blackmail.
This is where Mathias Pogba came on the scene, three years older than Paul. In August 2022, the latter published a video on social networks in which he threatened his brother with compromising revelations.
A few days later, this enigmatic video was followed by another in which the big brother accused Paul of having abused Kylian Mbappé.
>> Read also: The strange Pogba affair, against a backdrop of blackmail and maraboutage
“Criminal Team”
The investigation, entrusted to the Central Office for the Fight against Organized Crime, described the five friends as “a criminal team (…) aiming to extract 13 million euros from Paul, who had cut off his supplies at the beginning of the year.
In their defense, the five defendants, like Mathias Pogba, told investigators that they themselves had been victims of the two robbers, whose identity has never been established. All five are on trial for extortion, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy.
Mathias Pogba was absent the night of the sequestration. He is on trial for attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy.
>> Read also: Mathias Pogba, Paul Pogba’s brother, will be indicted for extortion
The trial is scheduled until December 3.
afp/edel
