French police investigating a prostitution network questioned football stars Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema in custody on Tuesday about alleged soliciting of sex with a minor,a police source said. The police had postponed the hearing until after the World Cup. French media have suggested the players were clients of a nightclub in Pariss posh Champs-Elysees district that allegedly featured escorts,including the under-18 girl,Zahia Dehar,at the centre of the affair. The scandal,which gripped France ahead of the World Cup,took a new twist in late April when Dehar gave a lengthy interview to Paris Match magazine,implicating players and denying being a prostitute. Zahia,who turned 18 in February,confirmed widespread reports in the French press that she was underage when she met Ribery,but added that she had not informed him about her age. Riberys lawyer Sophie Bottai told reporters on Tuesday that for her client to be found guilty the girl would have had to look like a minor and that was not the case and .had informed him that she was under age,which was not the case. The offence carries a penalty of three years in prison and a $58,390 fine,although a conviction hinges on proving the accused knew the minors age. The police source added Riberys brother-in-law and Benzemas agent were also in custody over the incident. Police custody can last 48 hours before a judge must either charge or release the person. Fresh start Benzemas lawyer told France 24 television on Tuesday his client was being heard as a witness. The Real Madrid striker,who was excused from training by his club on Tuesday for personal reasons,told French radio in April he had done nothing wrong. France striker Sidney Govou,who has just moved from Lyon to Panathinaikos of Greece,was also questioned by police along with Ribery in April about the escort girls network. Another international Hatem Ben Arfa was questioned as a witness earlier in July.
