The former Minister of Justice Rachida Dati was indicted on July 22 for “passive corruption” and “concealment of abuse of power” in the investigation into his consulting services to the former CEO of the Renault-Nissan alliance Carlos Ghosn, the national financial prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday, confirming information from the Chained duck.
The current LR mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris had initially escaped these prosecutions in November, after a first 16-hour interrogation before the investigating judges who then placed her under the intermediate status of assisted witness. .
900,000 euros in legal fees in question
Nine months later, Ms. Dati was finally summoned for a day of interrogation and indictment for “passive corruption by a person invested with a public elective mandate within an international organization”, in this case the European Parliament. where she was elected, and “concealment of abuse of power”. Joined by AFP, his lawyers Olivier Baratelli, Olivier Pardo and Francis Teitgen did not wish to react.
Since the summer of 2019, three investigating judges have been responsible for this investigation into contracts concluded by the Dutch subsidiary of the Renault-Nissan alliance, RNBV, with Rachida Dati and criminologist Alain Bauer, when Carlos Ghosn was still CEO of the group.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Rachida Dati, who denies any irregularity, would have received 900,000 euros in fees as a lawyer between 2010 and 2012. Alain Bauer would have received one million euros between 2012 and 2016 for consultant activities. A preliminary investigation had previously been opened in this case by the PNF, after a complaint filed on April 17, 2019 by a Renault shareholder. This complaint targeted Rachida Dati, Alain Bauer, but also Carlos Ghosn and his wife.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Me Jean-Paul Baduel, then reported “suspicions” of “the reckless use of Renault funds” by its former CEO. “The contracts are doubtful by their amounts, made for the benefit of a subsidiary with no employee,” he assured.