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PARIS - French rugby coach Bernard Laporte could soon be prosecuted for financial corruption, weekly sports magazine L'Equipe claimed in its edition to be published on Saturday.
Laporte, who becomes a junior sports minister in the French government following France's World Cup third-place play-off against Argentina on Saturday (NZ time), has, according to L'Equipe, been under investigation for a year by the national fraud squad (DNEF).
The paper claimed the DNEF might hand over evidence to the justice system after they allegedly found evidence of financial corruption on many fronts.
Though Laporte, interviewed by the newspaper which claimed to know detailed information on his numerous financial affairs, did not deny the DNEF inquiries into his finances, he disputed corruption claims.
Laporte claimed there was little substance to the allegations. "I know there will not be a lot in them (allegations)," he said. "In any case, it is the companies which are being investigated, not me personally."
French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot, who will be working with Laporte from Monday, did not want to comment on the revelations while travelling to southern French town Nimes.
Government spokesman David Martinon said there was no reason to believe Laporte would take up his new post. "I am not aware of the matter," said Martinon. "But Bernard Laporte's nomination has already been made and there is no reason to go back on that decision."
Laporte came in for criticism at the start of the World Cup early last month when press reports claimed one of his companies was selling French shirts signed by him in violation of agreements with the French rugby federation.
One of Laporte's associates took complete responsibility for the error however.
- AFP
