PARIS (AP) – France striker Karim Benzema is facing preliminary criminal charges as part of an investigation into blackmail over a sex tape involving teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
After being held overnight by police for questioning at a Versailles police station, Benzema was to be brought before a judge later Thursday, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
The judge will then decide whether Benzema should be charged or regarded as an “assisted witness,” which in French law means he has not been formally charged but could be in the course of the investigation.
A judicial official with direct knowledge of the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, told The Associated Press that prosecutors have asked for Benzema to be charged.
Investigators are trying to find out if the Real Madrid forward played a role in the extortion attempt targeting Valbuena, and if he actually tried to blackmail the Lyon midfielder.