The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) is analyzing a complaint from the AC association! Anti-corruption denouncing a possible embezzlement of public funds during the creation of the commercial company of the Professional Football League (LFP), a judicial source indicated on Wednesday, confirming information from the Team.
“With our lawyer, Me Vincent Poudampa, we considered that an investigation should be opened” to determine whether there was a misappropriation of public money, Marcel Claude, president of the association, told AFP.
The LFP commercial company was created after a partial transfer of capital to the Luxembourg investment fund CVC Capital Partners.
The agreement concluded in April 2022 by the LFP with the CVC should bring 1.5 billion euros to French professional football, compared to 13.04% of its lifetime income for CVC.
The distribution between the clubs of the windfall resulting from this agreement is contested in court in a separate procedure by the Le Havre club, which considers itself cheated.
“AC Anticorruption takes care of public money and given the current situation, public money is becoming increasingly scarce. When we have files like this, AC Anticorruption intervenes to find out where this money is going and if it is used for particular profits,” added Mr. Claude.
The association’s complaint, received at the PNF on November 27, “is currently being analyzed,” said the judicial source.
The Senate announced that it would launch in the coming weeks an information mission on “the implementation and financial implications of the creation of this commercial company,” Senator Laurent Lafon indicated on Monday.
In the current context of negotiations still underway for the allocation of audiovisual rights to Ligue 1, “we want to know what added value this commercial company brings to the file,” explained Mr. Lafon, member of the centrist group and president of the Senate Culture, Education and Sport Committee.
This fact-finding mission will “probably” acquire the powers of a commission of inquiry, which will give it expanded prerogatives, in its investigation as well as in its hearings, he said. She will then have six months to conduct her hearings and produce a report.
A fact-finding mission “cannot in principle relate to an ongoing criminal investigation. The procedure for creating fact-finding missions provides for consultation with the Ministry of Justice to ensure compliance with this principle,” recalled the judicial source.