It was a “particularly awaited hearing”, according to Claude Raynal, the president of the Senate inquiry committee. “Happy to be able to respond to the comments for the first time”, Marlène Schiappa is heard on Wednesday on her role and responsibility in the “Marianne fund file. In the introduction, the current Secretary of State for the Social and Solidarity Economy, on the initiative of creating the fund against separatism in 2021, warns that she “will probably not have the answer to everything. Indeed, she often kicks in touch, ensuring that she does not understand this or that question.
Marlène Schiappa nevertheless remains firm on one point. Asked about her relationship with the journalist Mohammed Sifaoui, searched as part of this commission of inquiry on Tuesday and heard Wednesday morning by the police, the Secretary of State affirms that she is “not a friend of Mr. Sifaoui”. “It is difficult to demonstrate that I am not friends with someone”, but “I have no personal relationship of any kind with Mr. Sifaoui, I never had one. I am not a member of the same organizations. I don’t have the opportunity to [le] meet in any private place or in a sporting activity. I don’t know his personal life, he doesn’t know mine. We are not former associates, and we have no common interests, we are not members of any organization” in common, she insists.
Marlène Schiappa denies having “prioritized” Mohammed Sifaoui
Mohammed Sifaoui’s association, the Union of Physical Education and Military Preparation Societies (USEPPM), received the largest sum from the Marianne fund (355,000 euros). An investigating judge has been in charge since May 4 of an investigation for “embezzlement of public funds, embezzlement of public funds by negligence, breach of trust and illegal taking of interests relating to the management of the Marianne fund. The commission of inquiry is interested in the role that the former Minister Delegate for Citizenship may have had in the allocation of this sum to the USEPPM after the publication of the report of the General Inspectorate of the administration (IGA) denouncing, among other things, the “privileged treatment” by the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency and Radicalization (CIPDR) of the main beneficiary association.
In this case, did Marlène Schiappa intervene in one way or another in the process of selecting the 17 winning associations? And in particular with the USEPPM? Mohammed Sifaoui had himself assured that he had been encouraged to apply “by the members of Mrs. Schiappa’s cabinet and by herself. What the Secretary of State does not deny. If she affirms that she did not “request or order that Mr. Sifaoui be prioritized or put on top of the pile”, she may well have encouraged the journalist to file a file, as she claims to still do. today for many associations.
On the other hand, the former minister did give a devastating opinion regarding SOS Racisme, an association excluded from the selection for subsidies. “It’s an opinion that I issue and then the selection committee makes a list,” she said. However, she denies having any “personal disagreements with the president of SOS Racisme” but without explaining her choice.
“Difficulties” on the calendar
During the first part of this hearing, Marlène Schiappa did not have an answer to everything. In particular to a question from the rapporteur of the commission of inquiry, Jean-François Husson (LR) relating to the chronology of the facts. Based on emails from the office of the former Minister Delegate for Citizenship, the senator points out that a sum close (300,000) to that finally granted to the USEPPM was proposed on April 13, 2021, i.e. before the deposit grant official. In addition, the first grant application dated April 9 by the USEPPM was originally for 635,000 euros and was therefore reduced three days later. But as early as April 6, already, Marlène Schiappa had issued her opinion on the sum of 300,000 euros, claiming that it was “enormous”.
The question “demonstrates whether or not the firm has questioned [Marlène Schiappa] on an amount even before any file is filed with the CIPDR, the actual request comes after, which tends to say that there was a prior decision of [son] cabinet to support this association even before receiving any file whatsoever”, summarizes the president of the commission of inquiry, Claude Raynal (PS). Faced with this question, Marlène Schiappa kicks in: “According to what I have as facts, obviously the members of my cabinet were in support of the initiative carried out by Mr. Sifaoui. But I don’t have any element that aims to say that the cabinet would have decided on something before the selection committee. The hearing continues with the publication of this article.