Bangoura handed jail sentence and fines for French benefit fraud while playing in Saudi

October 25 – Former Guinea international Ismael Bangoura has been handed a six-month suspended jail sentence and fined more than €130,000 after being convicted of fraud by a court in France.

The court also ordered that Bangoura’s house in Sarthe should be seized.

Bangoura, who plays for Saudi Arabia top flight league Al Raed, was found guilty of illegally receiving unemployment benefits in France from March 2016 to March 2018, amounting to €141,000.

The 33-year old was reported to have registered with Pôle employ (the French labour authorities) when his contract with his previous club FC Nantes ended in March 2016, qualifying him to receive unemployment benefits.

Bangoura reportedly continued to receive the benefit after he moved to Saudi Arabia to join his current club in 2016.

Bangoura’s lawyer claimed that his client was playing in Saudi Arabia on a voluntary basis as he had no FIFA approved contract.

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