Paris (AFP)

Ten days from running for a new mandate at the head of the French Rugby Federation, Bernard Laporte came out free on Wednesday evening from custody after two days of interrogation in Paris, suspected of having used his influence in favor of a great financier of this sport.

The boss of the Altrad group, Mohed Altrad, owner of the Montpellier club and jersey sponsor of the XV of France, was also released in the early evening, as was the general manager of the 2023 World Cup Claude Atcher, and two senior officials of the Federation, its vice-president Serge Simon and its international relations manager Nicolas Hourquet.

The five men were taken into custody Tuesday morning upon their arrival at the premises of the Economic Crime Suppression Brigade (BRDE).

It is now up to the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) to decide on the follow-up to be given to this investigation opened in 2017 to examine in particular the links between MM.

Laporte and Altrad, owner of Montpellier Hérault Rugby (MHR).

The PNF can decide to continue its preliminary investigation, to open a judicial investigation entrusted to investigating judges or to put an end to the investigations.

In this case, he can decide to close the case or to refer it to a court.

The case, part of revelations of the JDD in August 2017, had spoiled the start of the mandate of Bernard Laporte, elected on December 3, 2016. It now risks hindering his end of the campaign with the clubs, responsible for deciding him on October 3 against to its main opponent, Florian Grill.

His lawyers were not available Wednesday evening to react to the end of this custody.

- Sponsorship and France 2023 -

The boss of French rugby is first suspected of having favored Montpellier (Top 14) by intervening with the FFR appeal committee to reduce sanctions against the club at the end of June 2017.

Former coach of the Blues (2000-2007), then Secretary of State in charge of Sports for Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2009), Bernard Laporte has always defended himself, even if he admitted to having telephoned the president of the commission, Jean-Daniel Simonet.

Inspectors general of the Ministry of Sports have also established, in a report sent to justice, that the decisions of the commission had been "modified" between June 29 and 30, 2017.

The sponsorship contract of the Altrad group, a specialist in building materials which has become the first jersey sponsor of the XV of France, was also discussed by investigators during interrogations, according to Serge Simon's lawyer, Me Pierre Blazy.

For Me Antoine Vey, the businessman's lawyer, "the partnerships concluded between the FFR and the Altrad group are transparent and regular and, moreover, did not give rise to the slightest dispute at the time of their conclusion "in February 2017, a few months before the sanctions file examined by the committee.

"For two years, Mohed Altrad has made known his wish to assert his position, in particular to correct false elements circulating in the press," the lawyer told AFP, deploring that "these hearings took place in the framework of a police custody (...) which has no justification, if not to create a + business + on the media level ".

Another subject of interest of the financial police, according to Me Blazy: the support of the Altrad group for the French candidacy, ultimately victorious, for the organization of the 2023 World Cup, as the Duck chained in mid-August had written.

According to L'Equipe, MM.

Laporte, Atcher, Simon and Hourquet boarded the personal plane kindly lent by Mohed Altrad to support the French candidacy in Mongolia or Georgia, in May and June 2017.

By revealing the case in August 2017, the JDD also revealed the existence of a contract between BL Communication, a company headed by Bernard Laporte, and Altrad Investment Authority, for an amount of 150,000 euros.

Under pressure, the former Toulon manager had given up.

bl-gd-arb-nk / pa / bpa

© 2020 AFP