Karim Benzema and four other suspects went to court trial on Wednesday 20th of October 2021 in Versailles, France, six years after the alleged sex video blackmail against former France international, Mathieu Valbuena.
The Real madrid striker is being accused of involvement in the case known as “Sextape affair” with an attempt to blackmail his former international teammate, Mathieu Valbuena.
As mentioned by the Prosecutors, Valbuena was said to have received a call threatening to leak the sex tape in June, 2015 while he was with the French natonal squad at the training centre in Paris.
According to Le Monde via the Guardian, Valbuena said: “Benzema didn’t give hostile attitude neither did he call to talk to me directly about the money but insisted I meet someone and that seemed suspicious.
He said he doesn’t feel anyone would want to destroy a video without taking something in return because people can not be taken as idiots.”
Prior to that, an anonymous caller had called the Olympiacos midfielder, asking for an arrangement and he was also asked to name a negotiator.
Benzema was said to have been called up by the alleged blackmailers to convince his team mate to pay up according to the Prosecutors. The 33-year-old forward denied the allegations and it was described as “absurd” by the striker’s lawyer.
This scandal made Valbuena and Benzema lose their place in the French squad, but the Los Blancos forward was recalled back into the squad for the recently concluded European Championship.
Karim Benzema is expected to be absent in court, but his lawyers will represent him and if the Judge finds him guilty, He would face up to five years in jail and a $87,240.00 fine.
