French judges have ordered six men to stand trial in a case involving the kidnapping and extortion of French footballer Paul Pogba, with his brother Mathias among those accused, according to sources close to the case. The trial stems from a two-year investigation into the alleged extortion and kidnapping of the former Manchester United midfielder, a high-profile case that came to light in 2022.
Five individuals close to the World Cup winner are suspected of having meticulously planned a meeting in the Paris suburbs on March 19, 2022, which culminated in Pogba being kidnapped and held by two unidentified men who demanded he pay them 13 million euros ($14 million), as per Paris prosecutors. Mathias Pogba, a former striker, was not present at the meeting but is believed to have subsequently pressured his younger brother with the same intent to secure the money, according to prosecutors.
All the accused have denied any wrongdoing, claiming they were victims of armed robbers and that they were assaulted after Paul Pogba refused to pay. However, prosecutors are seeking to try three childhood friends and two former acquaintances from Pogba's hometown in eastern Paris for extortion, illegal restraint, and criminal conspiracy.
Pogba, who currently plays for Juventus and the French national team but is serving a four-year ban for doping, filed a complaint with Italian prosecutors, alleging he was the target of a multi-million-euro blackmail plot. The 31-year-old informed investigators that his blackmailers threatened to discredit him by claiming he sought a 'marabout', or witch doctor, to cast a spell on fellow France star Kylian Mbappe, which Pogba denies.
French prosecutors initiated an investigation in September 2022, which was jointly handled by the French police's anti-gang and central crime units. During the investigation, Paul Pogba admitted to having voluntarily assisted members of the group but refused to hand over seven million euros to three of them in September 2021. He subsequently distanced himself from the group.
In late September 2022, Mathias Pogba, who was born in Guinea, posted a series of videos on social media implicating his brother and accusing him of abandoning the family. These videos followed another posted by Mathias Pogba a month earlier, in French, Italian, English, and Spanish, promising 'great revelations' about his brother.
During the investigation, Mathias stated that he had been fearful for his and his family's safety, alleging he had been manipulated by the other suspects and expressing hope for a reconciliation with his younger brother.
