A trial for abuse of corporate assets for the leaders of the newspaper known for slamming abuses: two bosses of the Chained ducka cartoonist and his wife will be tried in July in Paris in the investigation into suspicions of fictitious employment in the satirical weekly.
These four people will be judged from July 1 to 3 by the Paris criminal court after the revelations in 2022 of one of the journalists of the DuckChristophe Nobili, of suspicions of fictitious employment within the weekly which would have concerned the partner of a former designer and administrator of the DuckAndré Escaro.
Abuse of social assets
According to one of these sources close to the case, Michel Gaillard, president of Le Canard from 1992 to July 2023 and the one who succeeded him, Nicolas Brimo, will appear before the 11th criminal chamber in Paris for misuse of corporate assets for purposes personal, fraudulent declaration to obtain a press card, forgery and use of forgery and fraudulent declaration to a social organization.
“I reserve my explanations for the court when my lawyers have become aware of all the incriminations and the reports which led the prosecution to make this decision,” indicated Nicolas Brimo, president of Le Canard chainé, requested by AFP. Nicolas Brimo indicated that he had not received the court summons at this stage. Michel Gaillard could not be reached.
From the Fillon affair to Duck
The source close to the case also indicated that the designer and former administrator of Le Canard André Escaro and his wife are being prosecuted for abuse of corporate assets for one, concealment of abuse of corporate assets, fraud against a social organization and fraud against the press card for the other.
Christophe Nobili is one of the journalists at the origin of the revelations on suspicions of fictitious employment concerning the wife of François Fillon, Penelope Fillon, during the 2017 presidential campaign. During 2022, Christophe Nobili had denounced the fact that the companion of André Escaro would have benefited from remuneration from the newspaper for twenty-five years without having worked there. In May 2022, he filed a complaint against X and an investigation for “misuse of corporate assets” and “concealment of abuse of corporate assets” was opened.
On March 8, 2022, he released the book Dear Duck (JCLattès), in which he returns to this affair which revealed fractures within the editorial staff, against a backdrop of conflict between generations. According to an article in Mediapart on Thursday, a July 21 report from the financial brigade of the Paris police judged the cost of this job for the publishing company of Le Canard chainé to be “high”. In this case, 3 million euros charges between 1996 and 2022.
“Credibility”
Still according to the investigation site, the damage retained by the investigation was reduced to 1.45 million euros, due to the prescription of part of the facts. Contacted by AFP, Christophe Nobili said he was “not surprised” by this criminal referral, “because I carried out the investigation, so I know very well that for twenty-five years, unfortunately, two leaders of the editorial staff financed the fictitious employment of the girlfriend of one of their old friends.” According to him, “we will still have to ask at some point for the management ban of the two leaders who are now sent to prison.”
Christophe Nobili’s lawyers, Pierre-Olivier Lambert and Maria Cornaz Bassoli, spoke of “a small circle of managers who granted themselves rights and decided not to respect the rules, to the detriment of the newspaper, its employees, its shareholders, and the State”, expressing indignation that “the credibility of the newspaper” had been undermined.
The affair had triggered a major labor dispute within the weekly, with management initiating dismissal proceedings against its journalist, accusing him of not having informed them of the fact that he was writing his book and of having expressed about it in the media. But twice in 2023 the labor inspectorate refused this dismissal.
Christophe Nobili initiated proceedings for harassment against Nicolas Brimo and his predecessor Michel Gaillard, with the support of the journalists’ unions SNJ-CGT and SNJ. A hearing is scheduled for March 13, 2024 at the Paris Industrial Court.