The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) had requested a ten-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 15,000 euros against him. The former minister was acquitted by the courts on January 17. The courts ruled that the award of the public water contract in the town managed by Olivier Dussopt in 2009 had been in accordance with the law.
A week after leaving the government, the former Minister of Labor was acquitted of alleged favoritism during the award of the public water contract in 2009 when he was mayor of Annonay in Ardèche.
He was suspected of having provided privileged information concerning a call for tenders, for the benefit of the water supply and treatment group Saur.
The prosecution had pointed out serious “shortcomings”
Olivier Dussopt was also suspected of having changed the evaluation criteria of this call for tenders, relating to a market worth 5.6 million euros, by reducing the importance given to the price to favor this company, holder of a public service delegation to manage the town’s water since 1994 but more expensive than competing companies.
Criticizing serious “failures” in the “duty of exemplarity” of elected officials, in the hope of “political gain”, the prosecution had not requested ineligibility against Olivier Dussopt, “in view of the seniority of the facts”.
During a search of the ex-minister as part of the preliminary investigation opened in May 2020 after an article in Mediapart, investigators seized the minutes of a meeting at the end of July 2009 between Olivier Dussopt and Olivier Brousse , former general director of Saur (Urban and Rural Development Company), also accused in this case for complicity in favoritism.
The public procurement code respected
The court considered that this meeting between the two men was not hidden since it was included in the mayor’s agenda and inevitable.
The search also uncovered an email from Olivier Dussopt to municipal services, requesting the modification of clauses in the specifications and the reduction of the importance given to price in the evaluation of candidates’ offers.
Justice also considered that all the companies applying to take charge of this public contract had the possibility of accessing these figures since they had been published in the minutes of the municipal council.
The court also ruled that the choices made by the call for tenders comply with the public procurement code.
The former Minister of Labor said he was “happy” that his innocence “was recognized” by the AFP.