In brief
Mathias Pogba will serve one year under electronic monitoring and has been fined for attempting to extort his brother.
In a startling development, Mathias Pogba, the elder brother of former Manchester United star Paul Pogba, has been sentenced to a three-year prison term for extorting his sibling. The sentence includes two years suspended, allowing Mathias to avoid incarceration. Instead, he will spend one year under an electronic bracelet. In addition to his sentence, he has been fined €20,000 (£16,500).The ruling follows a trial in Paris where five other accomplices were also convicted for their roles in the attempted extortion. Sentences for these individuals ranged from four to eight years. Paul Pogba, 31, alleged that he was coerced by childhood friends who threatened him with a firearm in 2022, demanding an outrageous sum of €13 million (£10.8 million). He disclosed that he had already handed over €100,000 (£82,600) in response to their threats.Mathias’s defense lawyer, Mbeko Tabula, has expressed a desire to appeal the verdict, labeling the sentence as “extremely harsh.” The details of the accomplices’ sentences include Roushdane K with eight years, Boubacar C with four years (two suspended), and other varying terms for the rest.The ordeal has taken a significant toll on Paul Pogba, who previously revealed he contemplated retiring from football due to the distress caused by the situation. “When there is money you have to be careful,” he advised, highlighting how financial gains can disrupt familial bonds and lead to turmoil. The saga continues to unfold as the public remains keenly interested in its ramifications.
