• The trial of Bernard Laporte opened on Wednesday in Paris for suspicions of favoritism involving in particular the multi-billionaire businessman Mohed Altrad, main financier of the XV of France.

  • The first day of hearing got bogged down in technical debates and could not allow the magistrates to question the president of the FFR.

Among the five co-defendants, the president of the French federation of the 32nd correctional chamber,

A first day for nothing, or else you must have developed some hidden passions for the working methods of the (PNF) National Financial Prosecutor's Office, duly discussed by the defense lawyers on the first day of the so-called Laporte-Altrad trial , before the 32nd correctional chamber of the Paris Court.

Among the five co-defendants, the president of the French rugby federation is undoubtedly the one who plays the biggest, prosecuted in particular for illegal taking of interests, breach of trust, and abuse of social assets one year from the World Cup 2023 torn from South Africa, the great success of his first term, "his landing of Omaha Bach" had nicely imaged his great friend Vincent Moscato on RMC.

While Claude Atcher, also warned in this affair, has just been disconnected from the presidency of the organizing committee for his brutal management, Laporte finds himself this time in the front line.

An image contract in exchange for favouritism?

The beating heart of the case?

The boss of the FFR, in exchange for an image contract in the amount of 180,000 euros signed to lead four seminars in the Altrad company in early 2017 and ultimately never honored once his existence was revealed, he tried to return the elevator several times to the president of Montpellier by taking advantage of his functions as president of the FFR?

First by facilitating his participation in the English club of Gloucester, then by asking the League Appeal Board to mitigate sanctions against the MHR, and finally by selling off the Blues jersey at a knockdown price. to please his friend Altrad, now main sponsor of the XV of France and great patron of French rugby?

The former Secretary of State for Sports, who had planned to be questioned by the magistrates from the start of the trial - he arrived very early - did not open his mouth in the afternoon, And for cause, most of the debates focused on the preliminary investigation of the PNF and the communication, or rather the non-communication to the defense of the telephone tapping which made it possible to establish part of the charges against Bernard Laporte.

François-Xavier Dulin, the PNF prosecutor, took the opportunity to try to amuse the gallery a little with some tasty punchlines, in particular about the "Faraday cages" denounced by Me Vey, Mohed Altrad's lawyer, in reference to the size of the rooms provided for the consultation of the seals shared by the public ministry: "Indeed, these rooms are not equipped with an exterior window, and inside there is light for two or months, after that it may be necessary to to be switched to the candle.

I reassure you, we consult them under the same conditions as you, no one is there to massage our backs”.

Bernard Laporte questioned Thursday

A good way to make the room smile, but a mere temporary happiness.

Embarrassed at not having been able to consult the famous fadettes produced the day before by the PNF at the request of the defense lawyers, who had come together to denounce "an incomprehensible excel table", the president ended up sending everyone back to the locker room before 6 p.m.

The defendants, who arrived separately and very distant from each other although seated on the same bench, took the opportunity to gradually relax.

Clause Atcher chatted with Bernard Laporte, and Mohed Altrad, a refugee a little further away, interfered in turn, almost amused by the turn of events.

“We discussed the children, how the holidays went, the trivial things.

As you can see, things have calmed down, I am very calm, if it continues like this all the light will be shed on the subject.

Seen from our window, it is still obscure, but a first veil should be lifted Thursday with the interrogation of Bernard Laporte.

If someone manages to get their hands on these famous fadettes by then, of course.

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  • Bernard Laporte

  • Mohed Altrad

  • Court case