Karim Benzema, the footballer who plays for Real Madrid, is set to attend court on October 20th. This is because he is accused of being involved in a conspiracy to blackmail his former teammate, Mathieu Valbuena, in what has become known as the ‘sextape’ scandal. It is alleged that Benzema helped a group of individuals approach Valbuena to extort money from him. The incident caused both players to be removed from the French team after EURO 2016, but Benzema has recently been called back to attend this year’s EURO. In addition to Benzema, four other men are also being tried in connection with the case.
As per the report by AFP, Benzema is facing serious charges and could be imprisoned due to his alleged involvement in blackmailing his former teammate, Valbuena. The incident occurred six years ago when Valbuena gave his phone to Axel Angot, an individual with connections to the football world in southern Marseille, requesting him to transfer its contents to a new device. Angot, who is also on trial, viewed explicit footage of Valbuena on his phone and discussed the matter with his friend, Mustapha Zouaoui. They threatened to publish the video unless they received payment. Valbuena was threatened with leaked footage in June 2015 and immediately reported the matter to the police.
The latest news reports reveal that Benzema is back in the French team. However, the story takes a dark turn involving various middlemen, including an undercover agent who goes by the name of “Luka.” The police deployed Luka to gather evidence against those involved in the case. Apparently, the blackmailers sought the help of one of Benzema’s old pals, Karim Zenati. As per the prosecution, Zenati reached out to Benzema, who agreed to assist them in reaching Valbuena. On October 6, 2015, Benzema met Valbuena at the French team’s training center in Clairefontaine. During that meeting, he informed his teammates that Valbuena could get in touch with a reliable person to prevent the release of a potentially incriminating video. Benzema confirmed his actions to aid his colleagues in escaping from a tricky situation. Later, he contacted Karim Zenati, his childhood buddy, who was acting as a mediator for the blackmailers. Unfortunately, their conversation was intercepted by the police, and prosecutors claim that one of the phrases used by Benzema indicates that he considered himself a part of the extortion plan.
The question of whether coach Ancelotti will include Benzema in the upcoming Champions League match remains unanswered. Benzema faces a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison and a 70,000 euro fine if found guilty of complicity in extortion attempts. Despite this, the Real Madrid striker maintains that he was unfairly involved in the case by an undercover police officer. It is unclear if Benzema will attend the trial, and his lawyers have not responded to the issue. Valbuena, who plays for Olympiakos Club (Greece), will be present at the trial. In other news, PSG stars have been caught showing off their secret tricks to flatter their wives after being accused of having an affair, causing them to quit training.
