Less than a week after the announcement of his withdrawal, the president of the French Football Federation is targeted by a preliminary investigation for “moral and sexual harassment” after a report issued to justice on January 13 , by the general inspection.
by Rémi Dupré
It was from Martinique, where he has a second home, that Noël Le Graët learned about the last twists and turns of “his” affair. In forced vacation in the Antilles since its deciding on January 11, by the Executive Committee of the French Football Federation (FFF), the president of the body, 81, is now targeted by an open preliminary investigation, Monday, January 16, by the Paris prosecutor’s office for “moral harassment and sexual harassment”. The investigations were entrusted to the delinquency repression brigade against the person (BRDP).
This judicialization of the soap opera Le Graët was initiated by a report issued to the public prosecutor, on January 13, under article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, by the General Inspection of Education, of the Sport and Research (IGESR), responsible in September 2022 by the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, to lead an audit to the FFF.
This administrative investigation mainly concerns the accusations of sexual harassment and sexist behaviors emanating from ex-collaborators of the FFF against the boss of the Federation, as well as on the controversial management style of the Director General Florence Hardouin, on foot as a conservatory on January 11 by the Executive Committee.
According to our information, the IGESR transmitted, as part of its report, a summary note to the Paris prosecutor’s office with facts likely to be criminal reprehensible. The testimonies that support these elements will be sent in a second step to justice.
The inspectors warned Mr. Le Graët, on January 13, of their decision to seize the prosecution after having auditioned the agent Sonia Souid. SMS sent by the president of the FFF in support, the latter had reported, on January 9, in L’Equipe and on BFM-TV , a series of calls pressing and tendentious and invitations to dinner from the patriarch of French football, elected head of the FFF in 2011. After the public statements of M me Souid, Florence Hardouin, during his Hearing by IGESR on January 10, and ex-employees of the FFF brought complementary elements to the inspectors.
“On January 10 afternoon, during the hearing of Mr. Le Graët by the Igesr, the inspector clearly said to my client that there is nothing in the file concerning any Criminal charges, that there is no matter to initiate a report, is surprised the lawyer of the former president of the FFF, Florence Bourg. What happened between January 10 and 13 when My client learns to report? We are in total darkness. “
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