Former Schalke player Hiannick Kamba has been found alive and well four years are being presumed dead.
The defender, who was once team-mates with German No 1 Manuel Neuer, was reportedly declared dead in January 2016 following an apparent crash in his home country.
His club at the time, eighth-tier side VfB Huls, mourned his death but he has now been found alive in Gelsenkirchen.
Prosecutors have launched an investigation against the player’s ex-wife who is reported to have collected a six-figure life insurance payment.null
Kamba’s ex-wife claims she realised that she was eligible for a life insurance payout and presented documents to the insurance company to prove his death.
She is now being investigated for fraud amid reports the documents were forged.
Prosecutor Anette Milk told Bild : “The accused is accused of fraud, but she denies the fact. The proceedings are still ongoing.
“[Kamba] stated that his companions had left him during the night while on a trip to the interior of the Congo in January 2016 and they took his papers, money and telephone.”
Since settling back in Gelsenkirchen Kamba has returned to his old job where he worked as a chemical technician for an energy supply company.
Kamba’s family were deported from Germany in 2005 after originally fleeing Congo 19 years earlier.

PSG superstar, Kylian Mbappe has been embroiled in an image rights row with the French Football Federation (FFF) after...
Former Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid manager, Rafa Benitez has clarified that his departure from the Santiago Bernabéu was...
Super Eagles coach, Austin Eguavoen has revealed that it’s an uphill task leading the Nigerian national team. Eguavoen who...