A police officer seconded to the France team sanctioned and put into early retirement after a donation from Kylian Mbappé

A police officer responsible for the security of the Blues was disciplinary sanctioned by the General Directorate of the National Police (DGPN) with early retirement after receiving a donation from Kylian Mbappé, AFP learned on Tuesday from sources close to the matter, confirming information from Le Monde.

In June 2023, this police officer seconded to the FFF received a donation of 60,300 euros from the current captain of the Blues from his 2022 World Cup bonus. This sum was reported by a banker to Tracfin, the financial intelligence unit of Bercy, in July 2024, triggering the opening of a judicial investigation. “The donation received for the 2022 World Cup was lawful, made by check and did not need to be declared,” the commander’s lawyer, Jean-Baptiste Soufron, assured AFP this summer.

Targeted by an administrative procedure by the IGPN, the police officer was summoned to a disciplinary council in October, without resulting in a sanction, according to the sources. But, a few weeks later, on December 20, the DGPN decided to sanction him with early retirement for not having informed his management of this donation, the sources said.

“A vexatious desire”

Before this decision, this agent, a figure of the Blues for years and friend of the Mbappé family, had asserted his retirement rights a few weeks ago to leave on December 31, according to sources, specifying that he will be employed by the FFF on a fixed-term contract for the next World Cup.

“This is a serious disavowal of the IGPN investigation knowing that the charges other than the donation were dropped after the explanations given in the disciplinary council – in particular the hidden or parallel work in Cameroon,” commented his lawyer Jean-Baptiste Soufron, who will challenge this sanction before the administrative court.

“This story does not hold up legally because this donation is legal and is not contested and there is a vexatious desire because the commander was to retire on December 31. I wonder about the motivations for attacking this honest police officer,” said former prefect Abdel Aïssou, who defends the officer. The judicial investigation targeting the police officer for concealed work and laundering of tax fraud is still ongoing.

Four other brigadier chiefs received 30,000 euros each in the same context, making a total of 180,300 euros in donations paid by Kylian Mbappé. Those around him assure that “everything was done in accordance with the rules”, “without any compensation”.