Pogba's brother and four other men, imprisoned for extortion of the footballer

• France Pogba's brother and three other suspects arrested in blackmail case

• Victim Paul Pogba, blackmailed by his own brother

Paul Pogba 's older brother

and four other men were

in the context of the investigation into the extortion reported by the

according to a source close to the investigation.

"We are going to appeal this decision," Mathias Pogba's lawyer,

reacted immediately, questioned by the

estimating that his client "has not committed any criminal offense."

A judicial source specified that the prosecution had requested the arrest of the five suspects, aged between 27 and 36, in this case of alleged extortion, criminal association and kidnapping.

Mathias Pogba, 32, who appeared on his own on Wednesday at the service of the investigation, acknowledged having taken the initiative to broadcast a video on August 27 in which he threatened to tell "revelations" about the footballer.

Justice accuses Pogba's older brother of

and participation in a criminal association of criminals, a judicial source specified.

On the other hand, in the most serious crime of kidnapping that occurred in March, Mathias Pogba appears as an assisted witness, an intermediate status between witness and accused typical of the French judicial system, indicated a source close to the investigation.

"Justice confirms that the most serious infraction charged does not affect my client, and unfortunately, there is a decision that goes against that case," he added.

"This is a person who has never been talked about, who has a virgin judicial record, who is not a criminal, who is presumed innocent," he protested, estimating that "he has not committed any criminal offense."

Video of Mathias Pogba

The other four defendants, all close to the Pogba brothers, had been in custody since Tuesday and Wednesday, at the premises of the

All have been accused of extortion with a weapon, kidnapping in an organized gang and criminal association of malefactors.

The case exploded into the public sphere with the publication of Mathias Pogba's enigmatic video in August, in which he promised "revelations" about the French international.

The Juventus player then explained that he had already filed a complaint with the

on July 16, in which he evoked extortions of up to 13 million euros between March and July 2022.

The

opened a preliminary investigation and, later, a judicial one on September 2 for extortion with a weapon, kidnapping in an organized gang and participation in an association of criminals.

The star of the France team told during his first hearing that he had fallen into a childhood friend trap, in which two men with their faces covered and armed with assault rifles reproached him for not having helped them financially, according to information from France Info confirmed by AFP.

According to this version, these men

euros (same amount in dollars), of which he would have paid only 100,000.

Pogba then claimed to have recognized his brother Mathias among the suspects.

In another hearing, he estimated before the investigators that his brother Mathias was "under pressure" from people who wanted to get money from him.

Last week, through his lawyer, Mathias Pogba said he was "totally oblivious to any extortion maneuver" to his brother.

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