French Rugby Federation president Bernard Laporte on Tuesday received a two-year suspended prison sentence for corruption charges just nine months before France hosts the Rugby World Cup.
Laporte, 58, was convicted after a French court ruled he showed favoritism in awarding a shirt sponsorship contract for the national side to Mohed Altrad, the billionaire owner of Top 14 champions Montpellier Herault Rugby.
He was also banned from holding any rugby post for two years, but that depends on an appeal which Laporte’s lawyer said was imminent.
Photo: AFP
However, Laporte later stepped down from his role as vice chairman of the sport’s global governing body, World Rugby, pending a review by the body’s ethics officer.
“World Rugby notes the decision by World Rugby vice-chairman Bernard Laporte to self-suspend from all positions held within its governance structures with immediate effect following his conviction by the French court in relation to domestic matters, and pending his appeal,” World Rugby said.
“While acknowledging Laporte’s self-suspension and right of appeal, given the serious nature of the verdict World Rugby’s Executive Committee has referred the matter to its independent ethics officer for review in accordance with its integrity code,” it added.
Laporte faces problems on the domestic front, too, with Florian Grill, who narrowly lost to him in the 2020 election for federation chief, calling for Laporte and the entire board to stand down.
“It is unheard of in rugby, this is an earthquake,” Grill said. “We have never before seen a president of the federation condemned to two years in prison, even if it suspended.”
The court found that Laporte ensured a series of marketing decisions favorable to Altrad — who was given an 18-month suspended sentence and fine of 50,000 euros (US$53,265) — in exchange for an 180,000 euros image licensing contract that was never carried out.
Altrad’s lawyer said he would study the decision before deciding on whether to appeal.
The friendship and business links between Laporte and Altrad are at the heart of the case.
It goes back to February 2017, when they signed a deal under which Laporte agreed to appear at Altrad group conferences, and sold his image reproduction rights, in return for 180,000 euros.
However, while that sum was paid to Laporte, prosecutors say that he never actually provided the services he signed up for.
However, Laporte did make several public statements backing Altrad, and in March 2017, signed the 1.8 million euros deal with the businessman making his namesake firm the first-ever sponsor to appear on the French national team’s jerseys.
Even now, Altrad’s logo features on the shirts thanks to a follow-up deal negotiated by Laporte in 2018, which prosecutors say bears all the hallmarks of corruption.
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