Mathias Pogba, the brother of former Manchester United star Paul Pogba, has been sentenced to three years in prison, two of which are suspended, after being found guilty of orchestrating a shocking extortion plot that targeted the footballer, Soccernet.football reports.
In a high-profile case that has captivated both the football world and the legal system, Mathias Pogba, 35, was one of six individuals convicted of involvement in a daring £11 million extortion scheme.
The verdict was handed down on Thursday afternoon by a Paris court, as per DailyMail.
While Pogba will serve one year in prison under house arrest with an electronic bracelet, the other defendants received sentences ranging from four to eight years.
The case, which dates back to March 2022, revolves around a shocking kidnapping incident.
Paul Pogba, the World Cup-winning footballer, reported to police that he was abducted and robbed by two armed and masked men who demanded a ransom of €13 million (£10.98 million) for ‘protection services.’
Pogba, who has recently had his doping ban reduced, claimed that he was intimidated and pressured by a group of people close to him, including his brother Mathias, to hand over the vast sum.
Reports revealed that the group had meticulously planned the kidnapping, with several individuals said to have been involved in coercing Pogba.
They repeatedly threatened him and accused him of abandoning his family after achieving international fame, to extort the footballer.
In a dramatic twist, Pogba disclosed to authorities that he had already paid €100,000 (£84,423) to the criminal group before reporting the incident.
Mathias Pogba, who was not directly involved in the kidnapping but was said to have played a role in orchestrating the extortion scheme, had been incarcerated for three months in 2022 during the investigation.
Despite his involvement in the plot, Mathias later attempted to discredit his brother by making bizarre claims, including accusations that Paul had hired a witch doctor to put a spell on his French teammate Kylian Mbappé.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Mathias maintained his innocence and denied the extortion charges.
However, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that the evidence was substantial enough to bring him and the other five men to trial.
The charges against the group were focused on organised extortion and attempted extortion, but the charge of kidnapping was ultimately dropped.
Mathias Pogba, a former professional footballer with stints at Crawley, Crewe, and Wrexham, was fined €20,000 (£16,500) in addition to his prison sentence.
His lawyer has indicated that an appeal against the decision will be lodged, suggesting that the legal saga is far from over.