Off the wire
• News Analysis: Japan could take more "proactive" role in fight against IS as hostage crisis unfolds  • Bus drivers call for tightened road security in northwest Kenya  • Hewitt beats Zhang Ze at Australian Open  • OIC session urges united stance to resolve problems of Islamic world  • Australian Open results (updated-last)  • Feature: Kenya's maize farmers turn to warehouse system as planting season nears  • Spotlight: Int'l media, analysts rivet eyes on Chinese premier's Davos appearance  • MasterCard launches 50 mln USD fund to help small holder farmers  • 2nd LD-Writethru-China Exclusive: IMF lowers global growth forecasts with marked divergence  • Novozymes meets 2014 sales targets, sees positive outlook for 2015  
You are here: 　 Home

French police arrest another 10 over Marseille transfer case

Xinhua, January 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

About 10 people, including player agents and figures linked to criminal gangs, were arrested Tuesday morning while French police probing into Ligue 1 club's purchase in 2010.

The ongoing investigation looks into suspected commission paid in France forward Andre-Pierre Gignac's deal date back in August, 2010.

Police had put into custody of Marseille president Vincent Labrune in mid of last November in the previous investigation, alongside with two former president Jean-Claude Dassier and Pape Diouf as well as the current director general Philippe Perez.

"Among the people detained are player agents and their associates but also people known to belong to the criminal underworld," AFP quoted a police source as saying of the latest arrests on Tuesday morning.

About 15 people were briefly held for questioning in November, according to AFP.

Labrune was chairman of the supervisory board in charge of all the club's financial operations, while Dassier led the club as president in 2010, when the suspect transfer was operated by Gignac's agent Jean-Christophe Cano on a reported fee of 16 million euros.

Marseille are currently second in the French top flight soccer league, one point behind leaders Lyon, as 12-goal Gignac trails Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette (20 goals) on the scoring charts. Enditem