Former Marseille Olympique President Under Investigation

Former Olympique de Marseille president, Jean-Claude Dassier, “has been charged with misuse of company assets, being part of a criminal association and forgery,” according to LE MONDE. Dassier was president of the club from ’09-11. Reuters' Jean-Francois Rosnoblet reported Dassier was formally put under investigation "after six hours of questioning Wednesday." The investigation, led by magistrate Guillaume Cotelle, has revealed Marseille “might have lost €55.3M ($63M) from the transfers of 14 players.” Prosecutors suspect “illicit payments were made." A 2011 investigation into “extortion, money laundering and criminal association” led to the club’s offices being raided in Jan. 2013. Investigators suspected “unwarranted payments of commissions were made” following major transfers. Dassier, along with former club president Pape Diouf, and current club president Vincent Labrune “were arrested in Nov. 2014,” but “all three were released without charges” (LE MONDE 9/17).