Investigation into Alleged Influence Peddling Surrounding Neymar’s Transfer to PSG

PSG was raided in connection with Neymar’s transfer. Justice is wondering if the former Macronist vice-president of the National Assembly Hugues Renson tried to obtain from the government “tax advantages” for PSG during the transfer for 222 million euros – the most expensive of the history – of Neymar in the capital club.

These searches were carried out in mid-February at the club’s headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine) by investigators from the Central Office for the Fight against Financial and Tax Offenses (Oclciff) of the judicial police, told AFP a source close to the matter, confirming information from Le Monde.

“To replace Mbappé, PSG has a mistake not to make”

Police question possible “influence peddling”

Contacted by AFP, a PSG spokesperson indicated that the club was collaborating “with all parties in this matter” with “the objective of stopping the false information circulating against it”. This investigation into the transfer of the Brazilian superstar is part of an investigation carried out since September 2022 around influence operations attributed to the club’s former communications director, Jean-Martial Ribes, 57 years old.

In mid-January, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance was searched by police officers from Oclciff and the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) as part of this investigation. Among the offices visited, according to Mediapart, that of the general director, occupied until recently by Jérôme Fournel, since appointed chief of staff to the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire.

As part of this investigation, the “police police” are wondering, according to an investigation report sent to the courts on November 21 and consulted by the AFP, about possible “influence peddling” involving Mr. Renson.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi

Credit: Getty Images

PSG evokes the absence of “rules” concerning the imposition of the transfer

According to this report covering ten years of messages found in Mr. Ribes’ telephone, the former “dircom” “requested (…) unequivocally (…) the services” of the one who was advisor to Jacques Chirac at the Elysée. In return, Mr Renson, who now works for EDF, applied to PSG “on several occasions” and “benefited from numerous places at matches” from the club or other benefits, including between 2017 and 2022 during his deputation.

On July 24, 2017, a few days before the announcement of the Neymar-PSG contract, the former vice-president of the National Assembly claimed to have relayed to Gérald Darmanin, then Minister of Public Accounts, a “PSG subject” which seems to be the taxation of the transfer. Mr. Renson then reassures his interlocutors: Mr. Darmanin is “working on it”. Then Mr. Renson wrote in particular to Jean-Martial Ribes that the minister “considers that it is good (…) What matters is that the documents that we had mentioned are produced. They will protect”.

At the time, Minister Darmanin publicly “rejoiced at the taxes that Neymar (was) going to be able to pay in France” and guaranteed that his services would closely analyze the financial arrangement of the transfer. On August 3, the historic agreement worth 222 million euros was concluded and announced.

“At the time of Neymar’s transfer, there was no rule allowing us to know how the transfer would be imposed,” a source close to the club’s management told AFP on Thursday.

This same source added that the club had “contacted the administration to demand that the case be treated as for any other transfer” and denounced “a media campaign against the club which began a month before the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Neymar – PSG 2017.

Credit: Getty Images

2024-02-22 20:51:00
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