It is a complex file, with multiple ramifications, with regular shocks, and which touches the highest peak of the state. A week after the information of “Complément d’Enquête”, the investigative program of France 2, which returned to the role played by Michel Platini, boss of UEFA at the time, and Nicolas Sarkozy, then president of the Republic, for the awarding of the Football World Cup to Qatar in 2010 and the sale of PSG in return for the purchase of French fighter jets, it is Mediapart’s turn to deliver its share of revelations. And they are explosive.
The French media has obtained unpublished documents from the judicial investigation for “corruption” on the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to the Emirate. These documents update the hitherto unknown role of Pierre Sarkozy. The eldest son of the former president, also a DJ and hip-hop producer under the stage name of Mosey, would have intervened with his father, in 2010 and 2011, “in order to help the businessman Sébastien Bazin to sell PSG to Qatar. »
“Pierre Sarkozy thus joins, in the legal file, another” son of “, Laurent Platini, whose hiring by Qatar was negotiated during the same sale of PSG”, continues Mediapart.
The judicial inquiry shows that the takeover of PSG would have been obtained by Nicolas Sarkozy in exchange for Michel Platini’s vote in favor of the Emirate, during the famous lunch at the Élysée on November 23, 2010, which was also attended by the Crown Prince and current Emir of Qatar, Tamim Al-Thani. “Nicolas Sarkozy is suspected of having thus served the interests of his friend Sébastien Bazin, at the time boss of the Colony Capital fund, and eager to sell PSG at all costs, which has become a financial abyss”, affirms Mediapart.
“Notes from the Élysée and text messages from Sébastien Bazin’s phone reveal the end of this secret story, based on arrangements between friends personally involving ex-president Sarkozy and the emir Tamim Al-Thani, continues the ‘article. Above all, the intervention of father and son Sarkozy, as well as the secretary general of the Élysée Claude Guéant, would have made it possible to double the selling price of PSG. “While Qatar wanted to invest only 30 million euros in PSG, Sébastien Bazin managed to obtain 64 million euros (…). The Sarkozy father and son were subsequently rewarded by Accor, when Sébastien Bazin became the boss of the hotel group in 2014.
“Several documents show that Nicolas Sarkozy allegedly negotiated on February 3, 2010, during a meeting at the Élysée Palace with Prince Tamim Al-Thani, that the Emirate would buy PSG in exchange for France’s support for Qatar 2022. Nicolas Sarkozy then received Sébastien Bazin at the Élysée on April 7. »
During a lunch at the Élysée on November 23, 2010, which was also attended by Claude Guéant and Crown Prince Tamim Al-Thani, President Sarkozy apparently found the words to convince Michel Platini to vote in favor of Qatar for World Cup award. A vote that took place a few days later.
“Several documents and testimonies show that Michel Platini would have been “returned” that day. He denies and assures that he had already decided to vote for the Emirate, ”indicates Mediapart.
According to the news site, “one hour after lunch started, he (Sebastien Bazin) writes to his lobbyist in charge of Qatar that Nicolas Sarkozy has just called him, and that he “gave him the key messages”. The next morning, the boss of Colony exults in an SMS to the same adviser: “NS called me back. HH (His Highness, son excellence le prince Tamim Al-Thani]confirmed that the deal will be done after December 2, the day of the vote (for the World Cup). »
When the plan to sell the club was threatened, Bazin did not hesitate to request the intervention of Pierre Sarkozy. Like this exchange dating from December 29, 2010 and reported by Mediapart: “Pierre, have you had your father and do you know if he will call the Prince? I spoke to the dircab [du prince Tamim] and to Nasser and for the moment told them that I intended to come to Doha on Saturday and Sunday but without any assurance of meeting the Prince!!! “Thank you for everything you do,” he concludes to the attention of the president’s son. »
For Mediapart, “the boss of Colony can in any case congratulate himself on the “boosts” of Sarkozy. The deal is officially announced on May 31 and signed a month later. Qatar agreed to pay 64 million euros in two instalments, according to an internal PSG audit from Football Leaks. That’s 34 million more than the initial offer. »