Paul Pogba, the midfielder for Juventus and France, has confessed to hiring a witch doctor. However, it was not to cast a spell on his France teammate Kylian Mbappe, contrary to the claims made by his detained brother, Matthias Pogba.
Matthias and other suspects who are charged with attempting to blackmail Pogba for over £11 million allege that the 29-year-old French midfielder tried to curse Mbappé, as he was envious of the PSG striker.
Five of the suspects, including Matthias, are currently in custody and could face up to 20 years in prison on various charges, including ‘extortion in an organized gang’.
They claim to possess a video recording showing Pogba conversing with the witch doctor, who goes by the name ‘Ibrahim the Great’ and charges up to €100 (£88) per hour for his services.
Pogba denies that his engagement with the witch doctor was related to Mbappé, stating that he ‘never intended to harm anyone’.
During his interviews with investigators from France’s Central Office for the Fight against Organized Crime (OCLCO), Pogba stated that he was seeking protection from injuries and also aimed to assist underprivileged children in Africa through an aid organization he was associated with.
Two judicial sources in Paris validated the revelations and the transcripts from the interviews conducted last month as part of the ongoing investigation.
Pogba is currently under police protection as he is unable to play due to an injury.
Further alarming details from the investigation include Pogba’s account of being threatened by two hooded individuals wielding firearms after being tricked into a flat in Chanteloup-en-Brie, located in the eastern suburbs of Paris, on March 19.
He had been in the city for international duties, four days following a burglary at his residence in Manchester where his wife, Zulay, and their two young sons were threatened.
Also present in the Paris property were four of Pogba’s childhood friends, identified as Boubacar C., Adama C., and two brothers named Roushdane and Machikour K.
Pogba stated that his mobile phone was confiscated, and he was instructed to pay £11 million as ‘protection fees’ spanning 13 years, the duration of his professional career. Additionally, the payment was for ensuring that the evidence against the witch doctor, contained on a USB stick, would not be disclosed.
‘I was afraid,’ said Pogba. ‘The two individuals aimed their guns at me. Considering the situation, I agreed to pay.’
‘They yelled, “Shut up, look down.” One of them spoke to Roushdane. When the two hooded individuals departed, Roushdane informed me that I had to pay to safeguard ourselves.’
Pogba commenced efforts to raise the funds and was eventually released at 4 am, being warned that he would be under surveillance.
After making an initial payment of €100,000 (£88,000), Pogba realized that the blackmailers were shadowing him around the training ground of his current club, Juventus. Consequently, he filed a complaint with the Italian authorities on July 16.
