Thirteen arrested over unsolved murder case

The naturalised Monegasque was taken into custody along with 12 others, including one-time international football referee, Gilles Veissière, under suspicion of misappropriation of funds and money laundering. The arrests are the latest development in a three-and-a-half-year investigation by police into the murder of Olivier Plançon, who was the Commercial Director for Mercure International of Monaco (MIM), the sportswear company owned by Houdrouge.

Plançon, 40, was shot dead by two motorcyclists in a car park in Marseille in November 2007. The parking lot belonged to Zvi Ammar, owner of International Sports Fashion (ISF). Ammar has also been arrested in connection with the case.

Police suspect that money was the motive behind the assassination, with financial transactions between ISF and MIM believed to be at the heart of the affair.

The victim was reportedly in possession of 15,000 euros when his body was discovered, although witnesses have told police that after the shooting they saw two men, one of which being Ammar, take bags and boxes into the ISF office. Police also found a bank slip for 346,360 euros, leading them to believe that Plançon was carrying more money at the time of his death. Police questioned Ammar in July over suspected interference with a crime scene, an accusation that he has strongly denied.

On Tuesday, the Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, distanced himself from Gilles Veissière who holds the sports portfolio on the city council: "This affair is strictly private and does not concern the city of Nice," the mayor said.

However, since Veissière was released on Tuesday evening, Estrosi has changed tact and declared that he fully supports his sports officer, who is now cleared of any suspicion.

Things are not looking so good for former AS man Houdrouge though. He was finally released on bail yesterday, officially charged with misappropriation of funds and money laundering. Ammar remains in custody and questioning continues.

TD