One was supposed to be the “scientific guarantor” of the Marianne Fund, the other its manager. The Franco-Algerian journalist Mohamed Sifaoui saw his home raided by the police this Tuesday morning, June 13, as part of the investigation into the management of the fund to fight against separatism created by Marlène Schiappa, announced the commission of Senate investigation, which was to hear him. “It turns out that since 6 a.m. a search has been underway at his home,” preventing him from being able to honor this appointment, declared Claude Raynal, president of this commission of inquiry, at the opening of the hearing, reading a message from Mohamed Sifaoui’s lawyer.
Mohamed Sifaoui was the co-leader of the Union of Physical Education and Military Preparation Societies (USEPPM), the main association implicated in this affair which had received a grant of 355,000 euros. This company with controversial management is in the sights of the Senate commission of inquiry, but is also the subject of a judicial investigation opened to the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) for suspicion of embezzlement of public funds.
An hour later, it was the home of Christian Gravel, the resigning prefect responsible for the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency and Radicalization (CIPDR) responsible for managing the Marianne Fund, who was also searched.
Launched on April 20, 2021 by Marlène Schiappa, then Minister Delegate for Citizenship after the shock caused by the assassination of Professor Samuel Paty, this fund, initially endowed with 2.5 million euros, aimed to finance associations carrying out speeches promotion of the values of the Republic to fight against separatism.
A week ago, a report published by the General Inspectorate of Administration (IGA) denounced numerous “failures” of the association, both in the application process and then in the use of funds. The IGA has noted serious “irregularities”such as, for example, doubling of salaries for the two leaders of the USEPPM project – with ultimately a very disappointing result in terms of content: 451 communications on different accounts, 8 articles on a website.
Update : at 10:15 a.m., with the addition of the search at Christian Gravel.