French forward Karim Benzema heard as witness in money laundering case

New Delhi: Real Madrid and French striker Karim Benzema was heard as a witness several months ago in an investigation over money laundering, a source close to the player said on Friday.

According to a report by French daily Liberation, the Paris prosecutor opened a probe on September 17 2015, over the acquisition of a small business in Paris by a company in which the forward has shares, which was sold later on for a large loss.

The source said that Benzema lost considerable amounts of money after being the shareholder in the restaurant. He cited benzema was a victim in this incident.

"He ended up being a shareholder in a restaurant and lost considerable amounts of money," the source close to Benzema confirmed.

This report comes less than three months before the start of the Euro 2016. The French national football federation (FFF) said this week that Benzema could not play until his legal situation in the sex-tape blackmail case had been clarified.

The Real Madrid striker is already suspected of trying to blackmail fellow France international Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape.

Benzema isn't named in the France squad in the upcoming international qualifiers this month.