Real Madrid’s French striker Karim Benzema has been charged in an alleged extortion case for a sex tape which features his national team-mate Mathieu Valbuena as he admitted his involvement but claimed he himself was a targeted by the blackmailers.
“Karim Benzema has admitted speaking to Valbuena at the request of a childhood friend, who was approached by three blackmailers who were in possession of the sex tape. Now he has been charged for blackmail and is not allowed to meet Valbuena” a close source of the investigation revealed to AFP.
Benzema has said he “wanted to help out his friend” and didn’t think of harming Valbuena, the source also revealed. According to French law, blackmail carries a possible prison sentence up to five years.
The much-awaited admission came when Benzema was questioned by a city judge on Thursday morning. The judge will decide whether Benzema should be charged over the case or not. The French striker was detained by local police in Versailles just outside Paris on Wednesday and had to spend the night in jail custody.
Reports claim that investigators are trying to determine how much Benzema is involved in that months-long attempt of money extortion from Lyon midfielder Valbuena as a controversial sex tape came into the hands of 4 suspected blackmailers.
A close source related to the investigation informed the AFP news agency that Benzema informed Valbuena about the intimate video when the France national team was training near Paris in early October, ahead of two matches with Armenia and Denmark.
Benzema’s lawyer on Wednesday clarified that his client had “no part” in the extortion plot and is desperate to clear his name from this case.
“Karim Benzema has absolutely nothing to hide,” lawyer Sylvain Cormier said.
“He is happy, satisfied even, to finally put an end to this tiresome controversy.”
The blackmail case began last June when Valbuena lodged a written complaint to the local police following an unknown phone call claiming he had the sex tape of Valbuena.
The caller didn’t mention the exact sum of money but threatened they want to come to an arrangement.
Police then took over the matter, acting as the business associate of Valbuena when the blackmailers again called, threatening to release the sex tape ahead of 2016 Euro Cup in France.
The investigation led the police to three suspected men, including one who is close to Valbuena’s family and also had direct access to his phone that contained the sex tape.
Two of the blackmailers are also reported to have a good connection with former France international Djibril Cisse, ex-teammate of Valbuena at Marseilles. It is also revealed that these blackmailers successfully extorted money from Valbuena for a sex tape in 2008 also.
The blackmailing group used Cissé to verify the sex tape, later leading Cisse warned Valbuena that an intimate video was circulating.
Last month Cissé was detained for questioning but was released without any charge.