Last Update: September 03, 2022, 15:33 IST
The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched a formal judicial inquiry into allegations by France midfielder Paul Pogba that he was the target of extortion attempts and threats from an organized gang, prosecutor Laure Becuu said on Friday.
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The formal investigation follows a preliminary investigation and will look into allegations of blackmail, kidnapping and membership in a criminal conspiracy by an armed gang, Becuo said in the statement.
Pogba, 29, has been the target of extortion by childhood friends since March and paid 100,000 euros ($99,510.00) to that group in the spring, a source close to the initial investigation told Reuters on Wednesday.
Pogba, who rejoined Juventus in July after leaving Manchester United, issued a statement on Sunday, saying he was the victim of extortion attempts and threats from an organized gang and authorities in Italy and France were investigating the matter. .
The French prosecutor told Reuters on Monday that the preliminary investigation had been assigned to OCLCO, a unit within the judicial police tasked with investigating organized crime.
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