After an investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF), MM.

Laporte and Altrad will appear from September 7 to 22, in particular for "influence peddling", "corruption" and "abuse of social property", for alleged facts ranging from 2016 to 2021.

The number 2 of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), Serge Simon, will also be tried before the criminal court for illegal taking of interest, according to the PNF, confirming information from Midi Olympique.

The PNF had opened a preliminary investigation in 2017 to examine, among other things, the links between the former coach of the XV of France and his close friend and great treasurer of rugby, at the head of the construction group Altrad and the Top 14 club Montpellier Hérault. Rugby (MHR).

Justice suspects Bernard Laporte of having supported the aborted project of takeover by Mr. Altrad of the English club of Gloucester and of having intervened in June 2017 with the president of the appeal committee of the FFR, Jean-Daniel Simonet , to ease sanctions against the MHR.

And this, in return for the image contract of 180,000 euros concluded in February 2017 with a company of Mohed Altrad, the SAS Altrad Investment Authority (AIA).

The president of the French Rugby Federation, Bernard Laporte, and businessman Mohed Altrad, owner of the Montpellier club, before the Top 14 match against Toulouse on February 19, 2017 at the Altrad Stadium Franck PENNANT AFP/ Archives

After the revelation of the existence of the contract in the summer of 2017, Mr. Laporte announced that he would give it up.

Justice also accuses the former Secretary of State for Sports of Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2009) of having signed in March 2017, on behalf of the FFR, a partnership contract with AIA in support of France's candidacy for the 2023 World Cup, without competition and without respecting the procedures.

Above all, Mr. Laporte would have used his influence to have Mohed Altrad's company chosen in February 2018 as the official sponsor of the XV of France at a preferential price, after a too rapid procedure, without sufficient publicity or transparency, according to the accusation.

"intellectual building"

"The charges against Mr. Laporte are the result of an intellectual construction which, not only is based on a trial of intent, but is directly denied by the objective elements present in the file that the PNF knowingly concealed", declared the lawyer for Bernard Laporte, Me Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi.

"The opening of the contradictory before the court will demonstrate that Mr. Laporte has always acted in one and only interest, that of the FFR", he added.

Mohed Altrad then also rejected the accusations of favoritism on Sud Radio.

The PNF relied in particular on a 76-page report by the Economic Crime Repression Brigade (BRDE), revealed by the daily L'Equipe in January.

In this report, the police refer to the sponsorship contract granted in 2018 for 6.8 million euros.

A first estimate had valued the sponsor at 9.9 million euros, according to the sports daily.

The president of the French Rugby Federation Bernard Laporte poses with the new jersey of the XV of France, surrounded by the vice-president of the FFR, Serge Simon (g) and the presidentident of the Coq Sportif, Marc-Henri Beausire, October 30, 2018 at the brand's headquarters in Romilly-sur-Seine FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI AFP / Archives

In September 2020, five people, including Altrad, Simon and Laporte, were taken into police custody, a few days before the re-election of the last named head of the FFR.

Mohed Altrad, a billionaire of Syrian origin, became one of France's greatest fortunes after turning a modest Hérault scaffolding company into a global empire.

The Altrad group, also official sponsor of the XV of France women and young people, is also since the beginning of the year the sponsor of the legendary All Blacks of New Zealand.

Lawyers for Mohed Altrad, Me Antoine Vey, and Serge Simon, Me Pierre Blazy, did not respond to requests from AFP on Thursday.

The other people cited in the file, including Claude Atcher, the director general of the organizing committee of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, are not, at this stage, summoned to appear, according to the PNF.

© 2022 AFP