Last Monday, investigators from the justice department conducted searches at the French treasury offices in Paris as part of an ongoing indictment inquiry. The case centers on tax advantages connected with Paris Saint-Germain and a high-profile transfer that brought Neymar to the club in 2017. The move from Barcelona set a record transfer fee at the time.
News outlet Mediapart reported that the searches were carried out at the General Directorate of Public Finance. The operation involved officers from the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s DGFIP and the Central Office for Combating Corruption and Tax Fraud, known as Oclciff.
Several media outlets also noted that judges Vincent Lemonier and Serge Tournaire led the investigative team responsible for this summary inquiry, which began in September 2022.
Of particular interest is the role of individuals who served as PSG’s communications director at the time of the signing, Jean-Martial Ribs, and Hugues Renson, who previously served as vice-president of the National Assembly and was a member of parliament affiliated with the party of the French president Emmanuel Macron. The case centers on conversations between these figures, which prosecutors say hint at schemes intended to secure tax benefits for the capital club related to Neymar’s acquisition from Barcelona for 222 million euros, a record for a football transfer.
The intercepted messages allegedly describe actions considered during the period when Gérald Darmanin, who later took on the role of Minister of Internal Affairs after serving as Minister of Finance, held significant influence in public affairs. The investigation focuses on whether any officials or club representatives engaged in maneuvering to obtain tax advantages tied to the Neymar transfer and related arrangements.