France: Benzema absent as sex tape blackmail trial starts in Versailles

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France and Real Madrid star, Karim Benzema was not present for the first day of trial in court in Versailles on Wednesday. Benzema, represented by his lawyers in his absence is accused of complicity in attempting to blackmail teammate Mathiew Valbuena over a sex tape he had on his phone.
There are four men in total on trial in the case. Benzema was the only one not present on Wednesday.
The case relates to a 2015 incident when both players were at a training camp. It led to both players being dropped from the French national team.
In 2015 Valbuena requested a man in Marseilles to transfer files from an old phone to a new device. The man, Axel Angot found sexually explicit material on the device and subsequently shared it.
Angot and a man he shared with Mustapha Zouaoui are accused of attempting to blackmail Valbuena, promising to release the material to the public.
Zouaoui speaking to reporters outside court on Wednesday explained why they wouldn’t approach Valbuena. “If we really wanted to sell it and make some money, there were the English, we know they love it. We could have made contact with them but that was not the case, we did not want that,” he said.
Zouoaui and Angot are accused of colluding with a childhood friend of Benzema, Karim Zenati in an attempt to elicit money from Valbuena.
Benzema approached Valbuena in the locker room of the training camp in 2015 warning him of the seriousness of the issue. Benzema promised to put Valbuena in touch with Karim Zenati, a trustworthy contact who could help.
At this stage, police were already involved and tapped phone calls between Benzema and Zenati. In one call the French star said “He’s not taking us seriously.”
The player faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He will be represented at the hearing by his lawyers, Messrs. Antoine Vey and Sylvain Cormier.
The trial is expected to last three days.

SOT, Mustapha Zouaoui, Suspect (French): “No, we especially wanted it ( the video) not to fall into the wrong hands. As long as it is concerned, there will be nothing. That’s all. If we really wanted to sell it and make some money, there were the English, we know they love it. We could have made contact with them but that was not the case, we did not want that.”

SOT, Mustapha Zouaoui, Suspect (French): “We’re going to apologize, that’s for sure. But after saying that we wanted to take money ... I, Mathieu, know him, he doesn’t pay for a coffee, it’s complicated for him.”

Reporter (French): “So what are you going to apologize for if you haven’t done anything?”

Mustapha Zouaoui, Suspect (French): “Of all that it caused. The poor man, he was not selected, he deserved to go to the World Cup, Deschamps liked him a lot, but because of that he was dismissed. don’t tell me it’s for something else, it was really because of that”

SOT, Paul-Albert Iweins, Valbuena’s Lawyer (French): “He is there as he wished, from the beginning so that in open court, we can finally know the truth about this case. The only thing that we see is that Mr. Benzema, for his part, is not there, and he is displaced.

Reporter, (French): “Does Mr. Valbuena deplore that too? Can we get his reaction for a moment?”

SOT, Mathieu Valbuena (French): “Today it’s been 6 years since this affair started. I see that everyone is there but Karim is missing. It’s a shame but that’s the way it is. We will go all the way. We have been waiting for this case for 6 years, so that it can finally be behind me.
#Versailles #France #blackmailtrial
Video ID: 20211020-033

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