Mueez Ajao
– An elder brother of Paul Pogba has been taken into police custody in connection with organised armed extortion against the Juventus midfielder.
– “Mathias Pogba presented himself to the investigators in the early afternoon and was taken into custody,” the source said.
– The source added that three other people are also in custody. Temporary detention in France usually ends after 24 hours.
Also Read: Witchcraft saga: Mbappe stands with Pogba
– The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation last month into attempted organised extortion, which is being handled by anti-corruption police.
– French prosecutors are investigating allegations that Paul Pogba was the target of extortion by his elder brother Mathias and childhood friends. They allegedly demanded €13 million (nearly $13m) from the former Manchester United player.
– Last week, Mathias Pogba’s lawyer, Richard Arbib, said his client wants “to state emphatically that he is a complete stranger to any extortion attempt against his brother, Paul Pogba.”
– The case became public after Mathias Pogba posted a video and tweets threatening to share “explosive revelations” about his brother and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe.
– Paul Pogba reportedly told investigators the blackmailers aimed to discredit him by claiming he asked a witch doctor to cast a spell on Mbappe.
– Pogba denied that allegation and Mbappe has sided with the player he won a World Cup with in 2018.
– The 32-year-old Mathias Pogba is also a footballer who spent most of his career with lower-tier teams in England and other European countries.
