Paris courts deliver verdict on Bernard Laporte corruption case

Bernard Laporte, president of the Federation Francaise de Rugby and vice-president of World Rugby, has been handed a two-year suspended prison sentence by the Paris Criminal Court.

In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, Laporte was found guilty by the courts for a range of corruption charges.

Laporte was accused of showing favouritism towards Mohed Altrad, owner of Top 14 champions Montpellier, throughout his tenure as president of the FFR.

The accusations of favouritism first emerged when it was discovered that a company owned by Laporte had signed a €180,000 agreement with the Altrad Group which would see Laporte deliver talks to Altrad staff and entitled the company to various image reproduction rights.

While prosecutors claimed that Laporte never carried out his side of the agreement, the €180,000 fee still changed hands and the charges levelled against Laporte on Tuesday were based on a number of incidents during his time as the French rugby boss that indicated nepotism shown towards Altrad and his company.

In 2017, Montepellier were to be charged a €70,000 fine and forced to play one competition match behind closed doors after the club allowed fans to display banners protesting against the proposed merger between Racing 92 and Stade Francais. Ultimately, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby appeals committee reduced the punishment to just a €20,000 fine, with Laporte previously admitting to contacting the chairman of the appeals board, Jean-Daniel Simonet, to provide a “political perspective” – but denying any wrongdoing.

Two major sponsorship opportunities were also offered to Altrad, ostensibly without carrying out wider tenders to the market, with the Altrad Group now the current front-of-jersey sponsor for the French national team.

Further, Laporte voted in favour of Altrad’s potential partial acquisition of English Premiership side Gloucester in 2017 – an acquisition that was ultimately blocked by Premiership Rugby.

Alongside the suspended jail time, Laporte has been handed a €75,000 fine and banned for two years from exercising any function in connection with rugby.

Altrad has been handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence and fined €50,000.

Claude Atcher, the former general manager of the Rugby World Cup 2023, and FFR vice-president Serge Simon also learned their fates on Tuesday.

Atcher faced charges after his company, Score XV, won contracts for a number of projects, mostly related to France’s bid for the 2023 World Cup, which were ultimately never completed by the contracted agency. Laporte, however, still signed off on bonus payments to Score XV.

Atcher and Benoit Rover, his successor at Score XV, have been acquitted of the charge of misuse of corporate assets in Score XV. The two men were also partially acquitted of ‘concealed work’ but were found guilty over a ‘given period’ and fined €5,000 each, plus face an additional €5,000 in fines from URSSAF.

Atcher and Laporte, however, were acquitted of a charge of breach of trust while Simon was acquitted of all charges.

Laporte’s lawyer confirmed following the ruling that he would appeal the charges.

World Rugby have also issued a statement acknowledging the outcome of the case:

“World Rugby notes the decision of the French court to sentence Federation Francaise de Rugby (FFR) president and World Rugby vice-chairman Bernard Laporte on corruption charges which relate to domestic matters,” the statement reads.

“The World Rugby Executive Committee will convene tonight to determine the next steps in accordance with the international federation’s Integrity Code. A further update will be made following the meeting.

“For context, World Rugby has in place the following leading governance processes:

• World Rugby’s governance structures are rated amongst the best in world sport according to The Association of Summer Olympic Federations (top band of 5 of 28 IFs)
• As part of a wide-ranging independent-led governance review, World Rugby adopted a new Integrity Code in May 2021, including a fit and proper persons test
• This was followed by the appointment of an independent ethics officer in 2022.”