Telegram founder Pavel Durov has told investigating magistrates in France, where he is charged with multiple infractions linked to enabling organised crime, that he “realised the seriousness of all the allegations”, according to a source close to the case.
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Extracts from Durov’s questioning in December after his August arrest show that he initially blamed French authorities for failing to alert Telegram to alleged criminal activity.
“My location and my personal Telegram account were known to the French authorities” including “the president’s office and the French consul in Dubai”, Durov said, also mentioning “an agent with the DGSI”, France’s domestic intelligence service.
He claimed that the agent said Paris was satisfied with Telegram’s cooperation, but that other investigating services had used “the wrong email addresses” to report suspected crimes on the platform.
The 40-year-old added that he had done his “best” to take “appropriate” action to address such reports.
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On December 6, during his first in-depth questioning, Durov nevertheless admitted that “it was while I was held in custody that I realised the seriousness of all the allegations”.