Sentenced this week in the Laporte – Altrad affair, Bernard Laporte does not intend to leave his post as president of the FFR, as he confided in an interview with the JDD.
If Mohed Altrad has been discreet in recent days, Bernard Laporte has just come out of the silence. While he was sentenced last Tuesday to a two-year suspended prison sentence, a 75,000 euro fine and a two-year ban on exercising any function related to rugby by the Paris Criminal Court for passive corruption, trafficking of influence, illegal taking of interests, concealment of abuse of corporate assets and abuse of corporate assets in the Laporte – Altrad affair, the current president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) has decided to speak out this Sunday on his personal situation. ” I did not expect that. Knowing that I did nothing, that I did not participate in any pact of corruption, I appeal, explained in particular the former coach of the XV of France. (…) Those who want new elections? They have the right to say what they want, I’m sure I’m innocent. »
“I don’t see why I should leave”
“I am a legalist. I don’t see why I should leave. This would mean that I recognize the facts for which I am accused. Impossible. Especially since the provisional execution, requested by the prosecution, has not been pronounced. Basically, if I had been told: “one, you stole a penny from the federation; two, you spent his money badly,” that would have made me think. But this is not the case. Everyone recognizes that it is well managed and that it is developing. I refused a five-year contract at 1.12 million euros per year in Montpellier, chaired by Mohed Altrad, to be volunteer president of the FFR. They then come to accuse me of being corrupt, for having received 150,000 euros from the same person. It’s an inconsistency “, also declared Laporte, during an interview granted to the Journal du dimanche (JDD), published on Saturday evening. He should also soon meet Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, the Minister of Sports, to discuss all this.