Football
French police detain Pogba’s brother, 3 others over extortion allegation
The police authorities in Franker on Wednesday detained the elder brother of Paul Pogba, Mathias, and three others as the police continues investigation into allegation of extortion by Pogba, France national team and Juventus player.
A legal source was cited to have said that Mathias Pogba had surrendered himself “early afternoon to investigators and was placed in police custody”.
A judicial source had disclosed of the four persons being detained in the probe, one kept behind bars on Tuesday and three on Wednesday.
Mathias Pogba has earlier denied any involvement in extortion reported by his brother, Paul.
Mathias in a statement by his lawyer, Richard Arbib, refuted the allegation of extortion after he had in a video online on August 27, transcribed in four languages (French, Italian, English and Spanish), threatened “great revelations” about his brother, Paul.
Paul Pogba had raised alarm that he has become a victim of a multi-million euro blackmail plot by gangsters, including his brother.
Mathias insisted he is innocent in the extortion allegation.
He declared in a statement: “Taking into account how the affair has evolved and the huge media attention surrounding it, Mathias Pogba strongly insists he knows nothing about any extortion attempt against his brother, Paul Pogba.
“It is clear that the difficulties the Pogba family are experiencing are the result of outside threats which the justice authorities, who are already involved, will evaluate.
“Mathias Pogba, who wishes above all to calm the situation with his brother, will from now on only speak with the investigating magistrates, should it be necessary.”
Paul Pogba had stated before the investigators that his blackmailers intended to discredit him by claiming he asked a marabout to cast a spell on the Paris Saint-Germain and France star Kylian Mbappe, saying this is false.
