Lagardère affair: PSG president Nasser al-Khelaïfi indicted for complicity in abuse of power

The president of Paris Saint-Germain Nasser al-Khelaïfi was indicted on February 5, in particular for complicity in abuse of power in the investigation relating to a possible attempt by Arnaud Lagardère in 2018 to change a vote in his favor -Catari fundraising shareholder of his group, AFP learned from a source close to the file on Thursday.

Solicited, a judicial source confirmed this indictment for complicity in the purchase of voting and damage to the freedom of the vote, as well as for complicity in abuse of powers. Justice wonders if Mr. Al-Khelaïfi did not play his influence so that the sovereign fund of the Emirate Qia, at the majority shareholder time of the group, changed position in 2018 in an internal quarrel on governance of the Lagardère group and this in exchange for counterparts.

This file has two components. In the first, Mr. Lagardère is suspected of having used fraudulently for several years, up to 125 million euros, funds from Lagardère SAS companies and Lagardère Capital – Management (LCM) to finance his personal expenses.

The second, which concerns “Nak”, relates to the year 2018, when the group was in full influence between Vincent Bolloré, ally of Amber Capital, and Bernard Arnault, CEO of the world number one lvmh luxury (owner of the Les Échos – Le Parisien group), who supported Arnaud Lagardère.

The Parisian president targeted by several complaints and procedures

On April 24, 2018, Qatar Holding LLC, a subsidiary of the Qatar Sovereign Fund Investment Authority (QIA) and the main shareholder, had positioned itself in favor of the resolutions of Amber Capital. Arnaud Lagardère and his close team called their contacts, including Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Qatari boss of PSG and administrator of QIA. Five days after the first vote, the sovereign fund changes position and decides in favor of the resolutions of Mr. Lagardère’s governance.

In September 2018, a British-Moroccan diplomat near Doha, Jamal Benomar was appointed to the supervisory board of Lagardère SCA and presented as “independent member”, that is to say a possible counterpart according to the instructor magistrates. The Lagardère group was bought after a bitter battle at the end of November 2023 by the media giant and the Vivendi publishing, controlled by the family of the conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré.

Mr. al-Khelaïfi is targeted by several complaints and procedures. His indictment for corruption in the Qatar candidacies file at the 2017 and 2019 athletic Worlds was definitively canceled in mid-February 2023 by the Court of Cassation, which judged incompetent French justice to initiate prosecution against him.

Parisian investigating judges look at the accusations of kidnapping and sequestration in Qatar, which said to have been the victim of the Franco-Algerian lobbyist Tayeb Benabderrahmane. Aimed, the boss of PSG refutes them and filed a complaint.