Bernard Laporte, President of the French Rugby Federation, businessman Mohed Altrad, owner of the Montpellier club, and three other people (Serge Simon, vice-president of the FFR, Nicolas Hourquet, responsible for international relations at the FFR and Claude Atcher, director general of the organizing committee for the 2023 Rugby World Cup) were taken into custody Tuesday morning as part of the preliminary investigation opened by the PNF (National Financial Prosecutor's Office) in December 2017 Back to the case ...
In its edition of August 13, 2017, the JDD reveals that Bernard Laporte intervened in person with the FFR appeal commission so that it looks "benevolently" on decisions of the disciplinary commission of the National League (LNR) concerning the Montpellier club: one linked to anti-LNR banners deployed during a match against Racing 92 in April, the other to the suspensions of two players.
On June 29, the appeal commission confirmed the judgments of the NRL… before reducing the sentences the next day.
Montpellier in particular receives fines but escapes a stadium suspension.
Member of the said commission, chaired by Jean-Daniel Simonet, the Parisian lawyer Philippe Peyramaure resigns and points to a call from Laporte to Simonet on the evening of June 29 to influence the course of things.
In our columns, the former Secretary of State for Sports will justify this phone call to “bring to his attention the events so that he takes them into account in his decision.
“Only problem, at the same period, Laporte is in a way the employee ... of Altrad, the boss of the Hérault club.
A few months earlier, Altrad Investment Authority signed a contract with BL Communication, a company managed by Laporte, which then owed it four interventions within a year for an amount of 150,000 euros.
Under pressure, the former Toulon manager finally gives up the contract ...
Sponsorship and travel ...
On January 23, 2018, numerous searches were carried out simultaneously in the offices of the FFR in Marcoussis during a rally of the XV of France, at the Parisian home of Laporte and at Altrad.
Other searches will follow at Serge Simon and Claude Atcher.
Since then, the procedure has followed its course and the members of the appeal committee were heard in February 2019. Laporte's lawyer is surprised that it took so long to hear his client and denounces the timing a few days before the election to the presidency of the FFR.
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But justice is not only interested in this famous June 29, 2017. It also wonders about the attribution to Altrad of the sponsorship of the Blues jersey to become the first brand to appear as support of the candidacy for the organization. of the 2023 World Cup,
By signing a check for 1.5 million euros for eight games, the businessman obviously made a good operation.
The price was indeed below market research estimates and much more affordable than for other less visible partners.
The BRDE (Economic Crime Repression Brigade) also has questions about trips made by the quartet Laporte, Simon, Atcher and Hourquet at Altrad's expense as part of the French candidacy for the organization of the Cup. world 2023 ...
