PARIS (Reuters) – Paris prosecutors have opened a formal judicial investigation into allegations made by French midfielder Paul Pogba that he was the target of extortion attempts and threats by a gang, prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Friday.
The formal investigation follows preliminary investigations and will look into allegations of blackmail by an armed criminal organization, as well as kidnapping and criminal conspiracy, Beccuau said in a statement.
Pogba, 29, has been the target of extortion by childhood friends since March, and paid €100,000 to that group, according to a source close to the preliminary investigation.
The player, who returned to Juventus in July after leaving Manchester United, released a statement on Sunday saying he was the victim of extortion attempts and threats by a gang, which authorities in Italy and France are investigating.
The French prosecutor told Reuters on Monday that initial investigations had been entrusted to OCLCO, a unit of the judicial police tasked with investigating organized crime.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot)
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