José Anigo returned to France to respond to a summons from the brigade for the repression of banditry (BRB) of the PJ of Marseille.
The Marseille figure, former player, coach and sports director of Olympique de Marseille, was placed in custody this Thursday, we learn from a judicial source, confirming information from Provence.
The prosecution evokes the dismantling of a criminal network suspected of "organized gang extortion to the detriment of night establishments and in the world of football".
For his part, José Anigo "firmly denies having participated in any offense whatsoever and intends to answer with serenity the questions of investigators on subjects which are on the periphery of a procedure which does not directly concern him", explains his lawyer Me Emmanuel Molina.
410,000 euros seized during searches
Monday, the “godfather of Marseille” Michel Campanella and Jean-Luc Barresi, another headliner of Marseille banditry, were arrested by the judicial police.
Nineteen other suspects were also apprehended, according to La Provence.
Among them, members of the Bande de la Capelette.
The investigations would focus on the transfer of Isaac Lihadji, a young 18-year-old striker trained at OM, recruited this summer by Lille, continues the daily.
In addition to "organized gang extortion", this team is suspected of "organized gang money laundering, abuse of corporate assets and criminal association".
Among the 22 people placed in police custody in this case, 17 will be presented in the coming days to a magistrate, according to the prosecution.
The prosecutor refused to give any precision on the identity of these 17 people.
Around 410,000 euros were seized during the searches as well as a hidden accounting system, vehicles, a watch and a shotgun.
In 2013, after the assassination of his son Adrien, José Anigo decided to leave France.
He has worked in Tunisia and Greece in particular.
Before his placement in police custody, he worked as a recruiter for Nottingham Forest, a second division club in the English league.
In 2006, justice opened the case of suspicious transfers of OM, a file which relates to fifteen transfers, for an amount between 65 and 80 million euros.
José Anigo was indicted in 2016 in connection with this case, alongside several former club leaders.