#Criminal tax law:
Marco Mouly, central figure in the carbon tax scam, sentenced to three years in prison and subject to an arrest warrant
On 12 November 2024, the Paris judicial court sentenced Marco Mouly, key figure in the carbon tax scam, to three years in prison for organizing his insolvency. He was notably accused of underestimating his royalties in publishing contracts and concealing revenues generated by an influencer contract. Marco Mouly was also found guilty of misuse of corporate assets, having organized a fraudulent system by establishing a company with no real economic activity and a fictitious registered office to mislead the probation and penitentiary services supervising him. > Read article
#White collar crime:
Investigations regarding the association “Dialogue franco-russe” dismissed
The two judicial investigations targeting Thierry Mariani, Member of the European Parliament and co-president of the association “Dialogue franco-russe”, and Yves Pozzo di Borgo, former senator, were dismissed due to insufficient evidence. Initiated in 2021 by the Paris Prosecutor’s Office before being transferred to the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office, these investigations aimed to determine whether the two members of this association, founded in 2004 to promote Franco-Russian relations, had received benefits in exchange for pro-Russian positions. The inquiry, triggered by a report from Tracfin, involved suspicions of corruption, influence peddling, money laundering and breach of trust. > Read article
The Minister of Justice presents an emergency plan to combat organized crime
On 8 November 2024, the French Minister of Justice Didier Migaud presented an emergency plan to strengthen the fight against organized crime. The plan includes establishing a national prosecutor’s office dedicated to organized crime, a 40% increase of the Paris public prosecutor’s office staff and the introduction of a dedicated information system (“Sirocco”) for efficient coordination of prosecutions. Legislatively, the plan proposes establishing a collaborator of justice status for repentees and expanding special investigative means. This plan aims to provide the State with enhanced tools to combat criminal networks while ensuring improved national and international coordination. > Read article
#Anti-Bribery and Corruption:
Bernard Squarcini on trial for influence peddling
On 13 November 2024, the Paris judicial court opened the trial of Bernard Squarcini, who is facing charges of passive influence peddling, along with nine other defendants. Squarcini is accused of exploiting his former public office for private purposes, mobilizing his teams to identify a person attempting to defraud Bernard Arnault, head of the LVMH group. He is also accused of continuing to use his network within state services after leaving the DCRI (the predecessor to the General Directorate for Internal Security, known as DGSI), sharing confidential information with private clients. Several former officials are also on trial for either responding to his requests or acting on their own initiative to provide information to LVMH, including on a judicial procedure involving the company Hermès. Among the defendants, some are also suspected of participating in the surveillance of the newspaper Fakir and its founder, Member of Parliament François Ruffin. The trial is set to conclude on 29 November. > Read article
