Former Manchester United France international Paul Pogba’s elder brother Mathias Pogba has been arrested and detained for extortion. It was gathered that the footballer has been placed under formal investigation over an alleged plot to extort money from his brother Paul.
Four other people have also been placed under formal investigation for extortion and criminal association, judicial sources told news agencies Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Mathias Pogba’s lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, has however claimed his client is innocent.
He told French broadcaster BFMTV: “We are going to challenge this decision.” The 32-year-old has admitted he was behind a video that appeared online last month promising “revelations” about the 29-year-old Juventus midfielder.
French prosecutors opened a judicial investigation earlier this month after Paul said he was the target of extortion and threats from an organised gang. He filed a complaint with Turin prosecutors on 16 July. He said they target to extort 13m euro which is equivalent to £11.29m.
Mathias Pogba is also a professional footballer who has been capped by Guinea and played for clubs across Europe including Crewe, Wrexham, Crawley and Partick Thistle.
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