Badou Sambagué and three FFF agents convicted by Paris court | OneFootball

Badou Sambagué and agents Martial Kodjia, Lasana Koïta and Antonin Mendy were convicted by the 11th chamber of the Paris criminal court on Friday. According to L'Équipe, the case centred on illegal agent activity across three deals.

Sambagué, a lawyer, faced counts of illegal agent work, misuse of corporate assets and laundering linked to tax fraud. The agents were accused of acting as fronts so he could be paid.

The file covered Mohamed Simakan’s extension at Toulouse, Timothy Weah’s move to Lille and Amine Harit’s transfer from Nantes to Schalke 04. The court also examined Ousmane Dembélé’s first professional contract at Rennes, on which Sambagué and Kodjia were acquitted.

Judges described a recurring scheme, Sambagué negotiated, clubs would not pay him, an agent signed with the club, took the fee and returned it to him.

Sambagué will appeal. He received two years’ prison, suspended with probation, a three-year ban from practising as an avocat mandataire sportif, two years of ineligibility, a €100,000 fine and confiscation of over €700,000. He criticised the ruling.

Kodjia was given six months’ suspended prison, a €10,000 fine and a three-year agent ban. Koïta received six months’ suspended prison, €20,000 and a three-year ban.

Mendy was handed 200 daily fines at €25 and a two-year suspended agent ban, and he can continue working pending an agents’ commission decision.

All four must also pay one euro each to the LFP and the FFF, which joined as civil parties.

Source: L'Équipe