French authorities conducted a search at the offices of the Ministry of the Economy and Finance on Monday as part of an investigation into allegations of favoritism related to Paris Saint-Germain's £200 million transfer of Neymar Jr from Barcelona in 2017.
The Brazil international had a successful stint with Barcelona before joining PSG in what remains a world-record transfer deal. Neymar, now 31 years old, later moved to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal after spending five years at Parc des Princes.
According to French outlet Mediapart, Neymar's initial transfer is under scrutiny as part of a broader investigation into influence peddling that began in September 2022. The club's former communications director, Jean-Martial Ribes, is accused of seeking advice from then-vice president of the National Assembly, Hugues Renson, regarding potential "tax advantages" for the transfer.
Renson claims to have consulted former Minister of Public Accounts Gerald Darmanin about the possible taxation implications of the deal. Ribes, accused of leveraging his position at the club for sensitive information benefiting both PSG and personal interests, resigned from his role in 2022.
The investigation on Monday was conducted by France's Central Office for the Fight against Corruption and Fiscal Fraud, with the presence of investigating magistrates Vincent Lemonier and Serge Tournaire.
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