Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been handed preliminary charges in an investigation into possible corruption, a judicial official told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Al-Khelaifi was charged on 5 February with complicity in the alleged buying of a vote and interference with voting freedom regarding a 2018 shift in the voting stance of a Qatari investment fund on the board of the Lagardere Group, according to a judicial source. Both sources requested anonymity.
The PSG chief, who has led the 12-time French Ligue 1 champions since Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011 with ambitions of making the club Europe’s best, has faced multiple legal cases but has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
“This case has absolutely nothing to do with Nasser Al-Khelaifi. As usual, he is being dragged into a baseless process simply because he is a well-known figure, only for it to quietly fade away in a few years without any grounds,” said a source close to Al-Khelaifi, who also requested anonymity.
Lagardere Group CEO Arnaud Lagardere is suspected of misusing approximately 125 million euros ($129 million) of company funds over several years for personal expenses.
The case against Al-Khelaifi relates to a 2018 power struggle within the Lagardere board involving billionaire right-wing tycoon Vincent Bollore, who was aligned with Amber Capital, and France’s wealthiest man, Bernard Arnault, the LVMH boss who backed Arnaud Lagardere.
On 24 April 2018, Qatar Holding LLC, a subsidiary of the sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and the main shareholder of Lagardere Group, initially supported Amber Capital’s resolutions.
Arnaud Lagardere and his aides reportedly reached out to their contacts, including Al-Khelaifi in his capacity as a QIA director.
Five days later, QIA reversed its position and voted in favour of Lagardere’s resolutions.
The Lagardere Group was ultimately acquired in November 2023 by media and publishing giant Vivendi, controlled by the Bollore family, after a prolonged battle.
A prior indictment against Al-Khelaifi for alleged corruption related to Qatar’s bids for the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships was definitively dismissed in February 2023 by France’s Court of Cassation, which ruled that the French justice system lacked jurisdiction.
Additionally, Parisian investigators are looking into accusations that Al-Khelaifi was involved in the alleged kidnapping and detention of Franco-Algerian lobbyist Tayeb Benabderrahmane in Qatar.
Al-Khelaifi has denied the allegations and has filed a complaint in response.
