The French Supreme court has rejected an appeal by Real
Madrid/France forward Karim Benzema in relation to the Matthieu Valbuena sex
tape case in 2015.
Benzema's lawyers hoped the court will bury the accusation that has been plaguing
his national career since 2015 for his alleged involvement in an attempt to
blackmail his then national team mate Matthieu Valbuena over a sex tape, but
the court sitting today ruled that the investigators had not used illegitimate
means to obtain evidence, contrary to what the player’s defence had argued in
its appeal.
His lawyers argued that the evidence obtained by the
prosecutors were invalid because they were wrongly obtained, but with this new
ruling, Benzema will have to appear in court.
Benzema was charged with collaboration to engage in
blackmail after he admitted speaking to Valbuena at the request of a childhood
friend, who was approached by three blackmailers who were in possession of
Valbuena's sex tape,".
Benzema, who was arrested by police when the investigation
started, made incriminating comments towards Valbuena during the saga that have
resulted in him being charged with "complicity in attempted blackmail and
participation in a criminal association planning an offence punishable by at
least five years imprisonment.
Benzema has not played for France since the alegations
against him were made public in 2015, with the French Football Federation (FFF)
president Noel Le Graet recently ruling out a potential return for 31 year old.
