Monaco’s DR Congo partnership under preliminary probe for corruption and money laundering | OneFootball

L’Équipe reports that Monaco’s Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a preliminary investigation into AS Monaco’s partnership with DR Congo, examining suspected corruption, money laundering and embezzlement. The agreement was announced in June 2025.

The deal was sealed last summer. The case stems from a complaint lodged in September 2025 by lawyer Hervé Diakiese, acting for two Congolese citizens living in France who wish to remain anonymous.

In February, the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office filed an official denunciation to the Monegasque judiciary. The partnership has been under judicial scrutiny for months.

The complaint targets Didier Budimbu, the current sports minister and former hydrocarbons minister, who is suspected of having signed the contract, valued at four point eight million, without transparency. Early indications suggest the matter relates chiefly to the Congolese side of the deal.

AS Monaco says it prepared the partnership in line with previous agreements, took all customary precautions before completion, and is ready to cooperate with the authorities and present the necessary materials.

The sponsor appears on the sleeve of the Principality club’s shirts. DR Congo also has image partnerships with Barcelona and AC Milan, and Diakiese could also file denunciations over those contracts.

Source: Nice-Matin