Fayza Lamari placed as assisted witness in Sanhadji inquiry

Fayza Lamari Placed Under Judicial Investigation Status

Fayza Lamari, la mère de Kylian Mbappé, a été placée sous le statut de témoin assisté par des juges d’instruction, selon des informations rapportées par rfi.fr. The judicial step stems from an ongoing corruption inquiry targeting Mohamed Sanhadji, the former head of security for the French national football team. Investigators examined Lamari’s repeated requests for assistance from Sanhadji—who served as both a police officer and the French Football Federation security chief since 2004—to secure visas for members of her entourage. Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard, the legal counsel representing both Lamari and the French national team captain, declined to comment when contacted by reporters.

The Central Financial Scrutiny Over a World Cup Bonus

At the center of the judicial investigation sits a 60,300-euro payment transferred by Kylian Mbappé to Sanhadji from his 2022 FIFA World Cup bonus. Following that financial transfer, Sanhadji—locally nicknamed “Momo” by the players—traveled on a private trip to Cameroon with the forward. The transaction was flagged by a banking institution to Tracfin, France’s financial intelligence agency operating under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, in July 2024. That initial financial report sparked a formal judicial investigation into suspected undeclared labor and laundering of tax fraud, leading to the opening of a formal judicial inquiry in January.

Interrogations Reach High-Ranking French Football Figures

The widening judicial dossier has prompted a series of high-profile interviews across French football. Kylian Mbappé himself was questioned by investigators from the General Inspectorate of the National Police on September 30, as reported by rfi.fr. Additional figures within the sport, including former national team manager Didier Deschamps and French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo, have appeared before investigators for questioning without facing formal charges. Meanwhile, Mohamed Sanhadji faces formal prosecution for active corruption of a person holding public authority, receiving proceeds from public fund embezzlement, active influence peddling, fraud, and tax fraud laundering.

Sanctions and Institutional Fallout Within the Federation

Mohamed Sanhadji departed his role as a national police officer in December 2025 following an early retirement forced by internal disciplinary measures. Authorities sanctioned the longtime security official after discovering he accepted the substantial check from Mbappé in 2023 without notifying his police superiors. Despite the disciplinary exit from law enforcement, Sanhadji retained significant popularity among players and federation executives, subsequently securing direct employment with the French Football Federation to manage security for the squad during the summer international tournament. A federation source indicated in September 2026 that the governing body declines to comment on active legal proceedings but intends to constitute itself as a civil party in the case.