This Wednesday, September 7, the trial of Bernard Laporte will open at the Paris Criminal Court. The boss of the French Federation (FFR) is on trial from this Wednesday for suspicion of corruption and influence peddling with two other figures of the oval. But he will not be the only ones to be judged since the multi-billionaire businessman and president of Montpellier Hérault Rugby (MHR) Mohed Altrad, the vice-president of the Federation Serge Simon and Claude Atcher (recently suspended from his duties as director General of the 2023 World Cup, editor’s note) are among the five defendants. Accusations of corruption, influence peddling, abuse of corporate assets, breach of trust, or concealment of abuse of corporate assets weigh, among other things, against these leaders of French rugby. Hearings will take place until September 22.
“The grievances made against Bernard Laporte are perfectly artificial, in particular because the acts performed were all in the interest of the federation”, assures AFP the lawyer of the former coach of the French XV (2000-2007), Me Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi. According to the investigation of the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF), the former Secretary of State for Sports of Nicolas Sarkozy and columnist of the program Balance Your Post on C8 was particularly guilty of “illegal taking of interest”, “passive corruption” and “passive influence peddling” for the main benefit of Mohed Altrad.
The National Rugby League is not the only organization to be a civil party in this case. Indeed, according to information from Noon Olympic, the French Rugby Federation, which Bernard Laporte chairs, has decided to file a civil action. A third actor will be a civil party. The Anticor association, whose action policy is to fight against corruption in politics.
A trial which comes one year before the Rugby World Cup which will take place in France.
See also: Cyril Hanouna announces live that a famous host is suing him and threatening to “put a pie” on him!
Adam Javal-Fauconnier