Until the end, Bernard Laporte and his entourage tried to postpone the date of his hearing at the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF). Still in progress at the time of this publication, the custody of the president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) began around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 22. Same situation for four other people: businessman Mohed Altrad, with whom Mr. Laporte is suspected of conflict of interest; Serge Simon, vice-president of the FFR; Claude Atcher, responsible for the organization of the 2023 World Cup in France; as well as Nicolas Hourquet, employee at the FFR, in charge of international relations.
In an email dated September 17, including The world took note, the lawyers of MM. Laporte and Simon directly addressed, “Formally”, asks them to Eric Russo, first vice-prosecutor of the PNF: ” We form […] the wish that you can still accept a postponement of their hearings. “ These finally took place on the scheduled day, eleven days before the scheduled election to the FFR, where Bernard Laporte will seek a second term against his opponent, Florian Grill.
In their pitch for another date, Me Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi and Me Pierre Blazy spoke of the possibility that Bernard Laporte and Serge Simon would assert their “Right to silence” the day of the hearing. An end finally dismissed: the two lawyers ended up preferring that their clients speak.
The lawyers called in their text to respect“A democratic process of a national election”. They believe that this ” will be hit hard by hearing, […] while our clients are in the countryside every day and from morning to night. “
“Victims of a form of instrumentalization of the procedure”
Bernard Laporte and Serge Simon had received the date of their new summons at the end of July – according to our information, without the confinement due to Covid-19, the hearing should have been held at the very beginning of April. “From July 30”, their lawyers requested the “Head of investigation”, Laure Thibault. According to them, this one “Saw no impediment to a displacement of the date of September 22. ”
Contacted by The world, the economic crime repression squad did not comment, confirm or deny it. No more than the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office.
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