Investigation into Melvyn Jaminets transfer to Toulouse expanded to include organized crime fraud and money laundering

Melvyn Jaminet investigation expands to organized crime and money laundering charges

Published on 07/05/2026 at 14:15 Reading time: 2 min

Melvyn Jaminet’s transfer investigation from Perpignan to Toulouse in 2022 has been extended to include charges of fraud and organized money laundering, announced the Toulouse prosecutor on Thursday, May 7, to AFP, relinquishing the case to the specialized prosecutor in Bordeaux.

“The investigation opened by the Toulouse prosecutor for forgery and abuse of corporate property following revelations about the transfer of player M. Jaminet by Stade Toulousain, revealed that these acts were also potentially constitutive of organized fraud, organized money laundering of this offense and money laundering of abuse of social property,” explained David Charmatz, Toulouse’s prosecutor, in a statement sent to AFP. “The Toulouse prosecutor has therefore transferred the case to the Bordeaux JIRS [Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction] on April 22, 2026,” specified the prosecutor, who had initiated a preliminary investigation in this case in April 2025.

In January 2025, the newspaper L’Equipe revealed that in 2022, international fullback Melvyn Jaminet, current player for RC Toulon, himself paid the 450,000 euros clause allowing him to leave Perpignan for Toulouse, before the end of the contract that bound him to the Catalan club. The operation allowed the pink city club to avoid integrating the transfer amount into its salary cap.

To raise the necessary sum for his transfer, Melvyn Jaminet had taken out two loans, but then did not receive the money owed to him by Stade Toulousain. The club finally reached a financial settlement with the player in April 2025. Following mediation, Toulouse had to pay a “contribution” of 1.3 million euros to the National Rugby League, which accused them of trying to circumvent the salary cap.

The sports newspaper’s investigation also highlighted the role of intermediaries through whom the money is said to have passed. Among them, Arnaud Dubois, a lawyer and former president of Biarritz Olympique (Pro D2) during the 2024-2025 season, and the company Pacific Heart. “These offenses… are very complex due to the nature of the structure that could implicate several participants or companies,” specified prosecutor David Charmatz.

In this case, Stade Toulousain claims to have filed a complaint against X. Following this incident, the club was penalized last December with a deduction of two points by the Rugby Regulatory Authority for the ongoing season. However, Toulouse currently leads the Top 14, with four rounds left in the regular season.