The Malian international from Sochaux (L2) Sambou Yatabaré, who had been imprisoned after a conviction for violence, was released under judicial supervision by the Paris Court of Appeal, we learned on Monday from a judicial source. The appeal hearing on the case of violence dating back to 2017 will be held on April 17, according to the same source.
“The appeal judges considered that the criteria defined by law were not met to order his imprisonment and logically decided to release him immediately,” said his lawyer, Amar Bouaou.
“Sambou Yatabaré vigorously disputes the facts with which he is charged and will present his defenses soon during the examination of the merits of his case, in order to restore the truth and preserve his probity”, continued Me Bouaou. The footballer was indicted in July 2017 after an altercation with a border policeman in the parking lot of Roissy airport after a fishtail on the highway. The Malian international had struck a blow to the plainclothes agent who had fallen and had been hit in the optic nerve according to France Bleu Montbéliard.
After a long procedure lengthened by the Covid crisis, Sambou Yatabaré was therefore sentenced on January 4 by the Bobigny judicial court to twelve months in prison. As the player is now playing at Sochaux, the court issued an arrest warrant which the Montbéliard prosecution enforced. He had been behind bars since January 11.