Latest news with #Tracfin
Mint
5 days ago
- Sport
- Mint
Why is Kylian Mbappe's €180,000 donation under scrutiny? Check details
Kylian Mbappe, the Real Madrid star and French national team captain, is known for his generosity off the pitch, often donating his international match bonuses to charitable causes. However, his recent donation of €180,300 from his 2022 FIFA World Cup bonus to five French riot police officers has landed him in trouble. The funds, meant as an act of gratitude for the officers' protection during the Qatar tournament, where France finished as runners-up, have triggered a formal investigation by French authorities. But why? Let's find out. Kylian Mbappe distributed the €180,300 to five members of France's riot police unit (CRS), who ensured the safety of the French team during the 2022 World Cup. Four officers received €30,000 each, while their commanding officer was given €60,300. The payments were made via personal check in June 2023, drawn from Mbappe's World Cup bonus. While Kylian Mbappe's intention was to honour the officers' service, France's anti-money laundering unit, Tracfin, flagged the transactions as 'unusual,' prompting an investigation by the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) and the Paris Public Prosecutor's office. The investigation centers on concerns about the legality and ethics of the payments. Tracfin, tasked with monitoring financial crimes like money laundering and tax fraud, raised questions about whether the donations were properly declared and if they were truly for the officers' World Cup duties. A key point of contention is the involvement of one officer in Mbappe's 2023 trip to Cameroon, where he accompanied the footballer as part of the French Football Federation's (FFF) security team. This has led to speculation that the donation might have been a payment for personal security services, which could violate French laws on undeclared work. French regulations are strict about public servants receiving private funds, as such payments could imply favouritism or hidden compensation. Penalties for undeclared work include up to three years in prison and fines of €45,000, with even harsher consequences if money laundering is proven. The investigation aims to determine if the payments were lawful or constituted 'under-the-table' transactions. Jean-Baptiste Soufron, the lawyer for the officer who received €60,300, has defended the donation's legality. 'This donation received for the 2022 World Cup was made by check and did not need to be declared,' Soufron stated. 'My client's interventions did not receive any compensation and fell within his normal role as head of security for the FFF,' he added. As the probe continues, authorities will determine whether the donations adhered to legal and ethical standards.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
French police open investigation into Kylian Mbappe payments
Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe is never far from the headlines regardless of what he is doing, but has once again made ripples in France. A series of payments by the France captain are being investigated. Mbappe is part of an investigation that has been launched into five members of the Republican Security Corps (CRS) report Le Canard Enchaine (via Sport). The CRS are generally charged with general security, but in particular controlling crowds, disturbances and protests. Mbappe payments to CRS agents The focus of the investigation are payments made from Mbappe to five agents of the CRS in June of 2023. The intelligence agency Tracfin, which tracks financial crimes in France have a document which details payments of €30k to four CRS agents that summer, with a fifth agent receiving a total of €60.3k. The total outlay from Mbappe's accounts adds up to €180.3k, which was flagged by their systems. All five of the agents were assigned to protect the French national team at the time. Mbappe promised to donate World Cup fee The France captain had promised to donate all of his prize money from the 2022 Qatar World Cup to the security forces that protected them during the tournament, just six months earlier. There is a signed document from Mbappe saying as much, and the Real Madrid star had consulted his lawyer, who assured that the security personnel would not have to include the donations in their tax declaration. Personal protection or French national team? The internal investigation force in the French police are trying to establish whether the 'donations' relate to their job at the World Cup, or in reality to a personal protection for the 26-year-old. In particular, the fifth commanding officer, is under the microscope, having undertaken two trips to Cameroon and Vaucluse in the South of France alongside Mbappe in June 2023. Les Bleus played European qualifiers that month against Gibraltar and Greece, both of which Mbappe was involved in. The latter was in Paris at the Stade de France, some way from Vaucluse. It's been a tricky summer for Mbappe, who missed most of the Club World Cup with a virus, and is still involved in an ongoing legal battle with former club Paris Saint-Germain over unpaid wages.
