PARIS (Reuters) – French Rugby Federation president Bernard Laporte, who stepped back from his duties last month after being convicted of corruption, was in custody and being questioned on Tuesday about the laundering of tax evasion proceeds, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors began interrogating Laporte on Tuesday morning “as part of a preliminary investigation opened by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) in August 2020 over suspicions of laundering tax fraud proceeds”, the prosecutor’s office said.
In December, in a separate case, Laporte received a two-year suspended prison sentence and a 75,000 euro ($81,400) fine for influence peddling and illegally acquiring assets.
Reuters could not immediately reach a lawyer representing Laporte. He previously denied wrongdoing in the December case and said he will appeal.
The French Rugby Federation (FFR) could not immediately be reached for comment.
(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel and Dominique Vidalon; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
