the ex-president of the SCO of Angers in police custody for “organized money laundering”

The former president of the SCO Angers football club (L1) Saïd Chabane was taken into police custody on Tuesday April 4 as part of an investigation for “organized money laundering”, AFP learned from his lawyer, Bernard Benaiem, confirming information from TF1 / LCI. The preliminary investigation opened since June 2022 at the Bobigny public prosecutor’s office also targets facts of “illegal exercise of the profession of sports agent” and has been entrusted to the central racing and gaming department (SCCJ) of the judicial police.

“I ask all the media to make the difference between the natural person, in this case Saïd Chabane, who is calm and intends to respond to the investigators with complete clarity and, on the other hand, the legal person, Angers SCO, who , to my knowledge, is not involved in this case”, told AFP Teddy Kefalas, deputy president of the club. Resigning from his post as president since March 21 – announced a week later by the club – Saïb Chabane, 58, gave way to his son Romain Chabane.

A club in crisis for a year

The Angers SCO has been going through a crisis for almost a year. In June, a first search took place at the club and in that of Saint-Etienne, as part of the investigation carried out in Bobigny. Of the three players’ agents placed in police custody, only one had the license allowing him to practice this profession. Then, in January, the SCO of Angers had once again been raided. The club then ensured that they had nothing to be ashamed of.

According to the club, this is a preliminary investigation “large scope” launched following embezzlement revealed by wiretapping carried out as part of the investigation into the extortion denounced by Paul Pogba. Separate from the Pogba affair, it concerns around fifty people and affects several clubs, assured the SCO.