"He left without any summons from the police, or presentation to an examining magistrate," one of his lawyers, Me Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi, told AFP.

The national financial prosecutor's office (PNF) confirmed that he had emerged free.

Mr. Laporte was accompanied during his hearing by Me Thierry Nesa, his tax adviser.

In a press release sent to AFP, the latter indicated "that it would be a donation granted more than 12 years ago to a former rugby player friend and associate of Bernard Laporte, a donation which would not have been duly declared to the tax authorities".

"It is established that Bernard Laporte has not received any sum and is only involved as a partner", he added, stressing that neither the FFR nor rugby in general could be "impacted by this private folder".

According to a source familiar with the matter, this investigation is separate from the case in which the French rugby boss was sentenced last month at first instance to a two-year suspended prison sentence, alongside businessman Mohed Altrad , president of the Montpellier club and sentenced for his part to 18 months in prison suspended.

The two men were sentenced by the Paris Criminal Court for a corruption pact linked in particular to the sponsorship of the jersey of the XV of France.

In office since the end of 2016, the president of the FFR, re-elected in 2020 for a four-year term, was found guilty of five of the six offenses for which he was prosecuted, including passive corruption and influence peddling.

Since he appealed the decision, his suspended prison sentence, as well as the ban on exercising the activity of president of the FFR for a period of two years, are not immediately enforceable.

The new investigation is also separate from that of the PNF targeting the organizing committee of the France-2023 World Cup for favouritism, influence peddling and corruption.

"Relentlessness of the PNF"

"It is perfectly scandalous that the prosecution chose the date of the election of Mr. (Patrick) Buisson to fix that of the hearing and that the disclosure of this hearing was made the same day", had launched earlier during the day Me Versini-Campinchi, castigating "a relentlessness of the PNF".

The investigations, launched in August 2020, were entrusted to the Financial Judicial Investigation Service (SEJF).

Two other people were taken into custody at the same time as Bernard Laporte.

Me Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi, lawyer for Bernard Laporte, on September 7, 2022 in Paris © - / AFP/Archives

This police custody comes in the middle of a referendum of the FFR during which the French clubs must approve, or not, the proposal of Bernard Laporte to appoint Patrick Buisson as deputy president of the Federation.

Some 1,500 amateur clubs are called upon to validate the candidacy of Patrick Buisson, until then vice-president in charge of amateur rugby.

They have until noon Thursday to vote.

"I think the clubs are a bit fed up with all this. The clubs need calm. It's more time to get together, to come together and push behind our XV of France than to live with electoral deadlines. We must advocate the gathering and that's what everyone expects," Buisson recently explained to AFP.

"A few months before the World Cup (September 8 - October 28, editor's note), we must not be in the time of the division but in that of the gathering. For rugby, not for personal interests. To succeed in this Cup of the world. Division only leads to failure," added the leader.

The World Cup in France will open with a clash between the Blues of Fabien Galthié and the All Blacks.

This new legal episode also appears ten days before the start of the Six Nations Tournament (February 4-March 18), of which the XV of France is the title holder.

© 2023 AFP