French judges on Tuesday ordered six persons to stand trial in a kidnapping and extortion case involving French footballer Paul Pogba, with the star’s brother Mathias among the accused, according to people familiar with the matter.
The trial comes after a two-year investigation into the alleged extortion and kidnapping of the former Manchester United player in a high-profile case that surfaced in 2022.
According to Paris prosecutors, five people close to the World Cup winner are suspected of having “meticulously prepared” a meeting in the Paris suburbs on March 19, 2022, which resulted in Pogba being kidnapped and held by two unidentified men who demanded 13 million euros ($14 million).
Pogba’s brother Mathias, a former striker himself, was not present for the meeting, but prosecutors believe he placed pressure on his younger brother thereafter “with the same determination to get (Paul Pogba) to hand over the money”.
All have denied their involvement in the incident, alleging they were “victims” of armed thieves and were assaulted when Paul Pogba refused to pay.
However, prosecutors demanded that three childhood friends and two former acquaintances from Pogba’s hometown in eastern Paris be tried for extortion, illegal restraint, and criminal conspiracy on the night in question.
Pogba, who plays for Juventus and the French national team but is now serving a four-year doping sentence, filed a complaint with Italian authorities, alleging he was the subject of a multimillion-euro blackmail conspiracy.
‘Curse on Mbappe’
The 31-year-old told authorities that his blackmailers tried to tarnish him by claiming he hired a “marabout,” or witch doctor, to cast a spell on fellow France star Kylian Mbappe, something Pogba rejects.
In September 2022, French prosecutors initiated an investigation that was conducted in collaboration with the French police’s anti-gang and central criminal departments.
During the investigation, Paul Pogba said that he had “voluntarily” assisted members of the gang until refusing to hand over seven million euros to three of them in September 2021. He therefore kept his distance from the group, he explained.
In late September 2022, his brother Mathias, who was born in Guinea, posted a series of videos on social media accusing Pogba of having “abandoned” his family.
The recordings arrived a month after Mathias Pogba posted another video online in French, Italian, English, and Spanish, promising “great revelations” about his brother.
During the investigation, Mathias stated that he was concerned for his own and his family’s safety, that he had been deceived by the other suspects, and that he hoped to reconcile with his younger brother soon.