Why the judges ordered a trial for his brother Mathias and five others

After two years of investigation, there will indeed be a trial in the Paul Pogba case. As Agence France-Presse revealed on Tuesday 10 September, the investigating judges ordered the referral to criminal justice of six men, including the French international footballer’s older brother, Mathias.

Five childhood friends and relatives of Paul Pogba will appear before the court for “extortion, attempted extortion”, “kidnapping and abduction” and “criminal conspiracy”. One of their lawyers, M^my Karim Morand-Lahouazi declined to comment. As for Mathias Pogba, 34, he has been dismissed for “attempted extortion” and “criminal conspiracy”. Contacted, his lawyer, M.^my Richard Arbib did not follow up. “We await the trial with serenity so that justice can take its course”declares, for its part, M^my Pierre-Jean Douvier, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Paul Pogba, and his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, also a civil party.

Arrested in police custody in September 2022, following the hearing of his younger brother by investigators from the Central Office for the Fight against Organized Crime responsible for the investigation, known as “Penalti”, Mathias Pogba was charged and remanded in custody before his release in December 2022.

In its final indictment, the prosecution accused him of having, in the summer of 2022, “obtained or attempted to obtain by means of violence, threats of violence or coercion, the delivery of funds, valuables or any property, in this case money and valuable items of clothing to the particular detriment of Paul Pogba, in this particular case by threatening to make public elements that could seriously damage his career and image, threatening him with acts of violence that could be exercised against him or his loved ones.

“Puppet”

In its 44-page order, that The world Consulted, the investigating magistrates point out that, “Informed of the existence of criminal offences, Mathias Pogba made the decision not to go to the police, although at this time he was not subject to reprisals, but to put pressure on his brother Paul Pogba and his family to guarantee payment of the sum of 13 million euros”.

An amount claimed from his brother by blackmailers, on the night of March 19 to 20, 2022, in Montévrain (Seine-et-Marne). That night, Paul Pogba said he was attacked by two hooded men, wearing bulletproof vests and heavily armed. They have not yet been identified.

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