Qatar claims "witch hunt" in France after PSG boss investigated for corruption

Qatar has accused France of conducting a “witch hunt” against its businesses and citizens, warning that it may scale back future investments in the country, according to a senior official close to the Qatari government.

In particular, escalating tensions come after Nasser al-Khelaïfi, the president of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), a French football club majority-owned by Qatari interests, was placed under formal investigation by French financial prosecutors last week, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Al-Khelaïfi is being investigated on charges of "complicity in vote buying and undermining the freedom to vote" in connection with his involvement with French media group Lagardère. The investigation, first reported by Agence France Presse (AFP), suggests al-Khelaïfi may have used his influence at the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which holds a stake in Lagardère, to sway a contentious vote on the group’s governance.

A French judicial official confirmed the investigation, but al-Khelaïfi, who has long faced legal scrutiny in France, continues to deny any wrongdoing. "There’s a witch hunt against Qatari businesses and individuals, with Nasser al-Khelaïfi as the focal point," said the anonymous Qatari official.

Despite these allegations, a senior adviser to French Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin dismissed suggestions that Qatar would retreat from its investments in France. "The latest investments from Qatar are being deployed, and discussions on new projects are ongoing," the adviser noted, referring to a pledge made by Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to invest an additional €10 billion (over $10 billion) in France during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron last year.

Al-Khelaïfi, who has headed PSG since 2011 and is also a key figure at the QIA, has faced multiple criminal investigations in France, none of which have led to a conviction. In a separate case from 2019, he was initially charged with "active corruption," but the ruling was overturned by the French Supreme Court in 2023.

Authorities are also investigating claims made by a French-Algerian lobbyist who alleges he was abducted in Qatar and detained for six months, during which he was questioned about documents containing private information on al-Khelaïfi.

While Qatar's recent tensions with France could affect future investments, it is unlikely to impact its control over PSG. The Qatari-backed Qatar Sports Investments has been the sole owner of the club since 2012, although it sold a 12.5% stake to U.S. investment firm Arctos Partners in 2023.

By Aghakazim Guliyev