from BBC article (included translated phone transcripts):
The person responsible was allegedly Axel Angot, described in the French press as a kind of Mr Fixit for super-rich footballers. He and two others, named as Mustapha Z. and Younes H., allegedly tried to extort unspecified favours from Valbuena.
However Mathieu Valbuena refused to play ball and went to the police, who placed the three suspects under phone taps.
At this point, it is alleged the three tried another tactic. Karim Zenati was approached - an old mucker of Karim Benzema's and a man with convictions for armed theft and drug dealing. He agreed to use his friendship with the Real Madrid star to try to get the message through to Mathieu Valbuena.
And that is how - during training at the national side's camp at Clairefontaine on 5 October - the two footballers had the conversation which is key to the case against Karim Benzema.
Leaked phone transcripts
The transcripts leaked by police to Europe 1 radio are of a phone call carried out on October 6 between Karim Benzema and Karim Zenati. In it the player describes what happened when he spoke to Mathieu Valbuena the day before.
Initially, he says, Mathieu Valbuena did not take him seriously. But Karim Benzema goes on:
"I said to him: 'I'm going to sort it out for you. You got to go see the guy. He'll come. He'll talk to you. I give you my word there's no other copy.'"
Later Karim Benzema tells Karim Zenati:
"I said (to Valbuena): 'If you want the video to be destroyed, my friend comes up to see you in Lyon and you sort it out face to face with him.'"
At one point Karim Benzema describes how Mathieu Valbuena asked him if his "tattoos" are visible in the video.
"I told him 'you can see everything'." But he later admits to Karim Zenati he has not actually seen the video.
The reference to tattoos is unclear. It could be that they are on an intimate part of the body, or that Mathieu Valbuena fears they clearly identify him in the sex-tape.
Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Mathieu Valbuena contacted police after finding out about the sex tape in June
Karim Benzema goes on:
"I said (to Valbuena): 'My role stops here. Now it's my friend who takes over. He's the one who knows the person with the video. Me, I don't know him. So now if you want to sort this out, give me your number. I'll pass it on and you sort it out with him.'"
According to Europe 1, the tone of the conversation between Benzema and Zenati suggests for them it is all a hilarious prank.
The law will have to decide whether this amounts to evidence of complicity to blackmail.
Karim Benzema's brief has already cried foul, saying the leak was "selective" and left out parts that might exculpate his client.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34787802
