At the end of October 2021, his office at the town hall of Nice as well as his home were searched. And he was immediately suspended by the municipality. Targeted by an investigation for “embezzlement”, Richard Gianotti, the former director of the Nice municipal police, has just been sentenced to four months in prison suspended, 40,000 euros fine without registration on his criminal record, according to information from Nice-Matin.
Clearly, the former boss of the first municipal police in France, who was paid by the local community for which he worked, on secondment, since 2017, had continued to receive, in parallel, his salary as national police commander. Or 230,000 euros which have since been fully recovered by the State.
A conviction without a trial
He was tried in the context of an appearance procedure on prior admission of guilt, thus avoiding the holding of a criminal trial.
According to Nice morningRichard Gianotti had explained for his defense that he had reported the error to the Ministry of the Interior without this producing the slightest effect.