Officials of the association managing the Villeneuve-d’Ascq mosque, in the Lille metropolis, will be tried in 2024, in particular for “breach of trust”, and “attempted fraud”, we learned from their lawyers, who dispute any embezzlement. Five people, all volunteers, are involved, including the president, vice-president and treasurer of the Islamic center of Villeneuve d’Ascq (Civ), the managing association.
Placed in police custody in two stages, on January 16 and then on May 2, they were placed under judicial supervision with a view to a judgment in early 2024, indicated two of their lawyers, confirming information from the Figaro.
Two properties
The investigation began after a report from the prefecture, which suspected an “attempted fraud” following a grant application. The association “asked 25,000 euros, in particular to put anti-ram studs in the parking lot”, explained to AFP Alexandre Demeyere-Honoré, lawyer for the treasurer and vice-president. The association provided certain “documents on resources”, which did not correspond to the “final assessment”.
If they only gave a “part of the accounts”, it is because the rest “was not requested”, the prefecture did not “request any additional”, affirms Me Mehdi Ziatt, lawyer in particular of the president . He deplores a “folder mounted as a pin”.
The prosecution also accuses the suspects of having acquired a few years ago, through an SCI, two properties intended for rental, with a value estimated by the courts at 350,000 euros. This “rental investment” was intended to “sustain the resources of the association”, and the leaders did “not touch a euro”, pleads Me Demeyere.
Averroes Muslim Private High School Loans
“We are told that this investment (…) would be made behind the backs of the members”, but the statutes “provide” for this possibility of investing, and general meeting minutes prove that “the members have validated it”, assures Mr Ziatt.
His client, he says, is also being prosecuted for “illegal exercise of the profession of banker”, after loans granted to the private Muslim high school Averroes, of which 200,000 euros have not been reimbursed at this stage. Since 2019, the Hauts-de-France region has twice blocked annual high school grants, on suspicion of Qatari funding, before being disavowed by administrative justice.
“The Averroes association is part of the same federation of associations as the Civ”, which “in a way founded it”, assures Me Ziatt, judging in this context “completely legal” to help the school. Contacted, the prefecture and the prosecution did not respond.