#White collar crime:

French prosecutor requests €1.125 in fines and prison terms in Lafarge trial

The French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor (“PNAT”) sought fines and prison terms against the company and eight of its former executives. The trial rests on the accusation of financing terrorism and violating international sanctions in Syria. The company and the executives are accused of having paid several million euros to jihadist groups to have access to raw materials and to let employees through checkpoints. The PNAT requested confiscation of a 1.125 million euros fine against Lafarge SA, the partial confiscation of 30 million euros in assets, and a joint custom fine of 4.57 million euros. Against Bruno Lafont, the former CEO, the PNAT required a six-year prison sentence, a €225,000 fine, and a ten-year ban on holding any commercial or industrial position. > Read article

Retraction of Ziad Takieddine: the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office seeks a trial against Nicolas Sarkozy, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and Mimi Marchand

The French National Financial Prosecutor requested that eleven individuals be prosecuted. Amongst them, the Former French President and his wife are being accused of conspiracy to commit fraud as part of an organized group and concealment witness tampering. The defendants have allegedly influenced a key witness to securing his retraction and exonerate Nicolas Sarkozy. They face up to ten years in prison and 150 000 euros in fines. These proceedings are part of the alleged Libyan financing, the appeal trial is set in March 2026. > Read article

#Anti-bribery and Corruption:

“A clear statement that nothing will be tolerated”: what is the newly set up anti-corruption unit in Marseille?

The Prosecutor of Marseille announced, on Wednesday December 17, the creation of an anti-corruption unit. Unprecedented in France, among various objectives, it aims at countering the infiltration of public institutions by drug trafficking criminal networks. Since October 2025, the unit is part of the Economic and Financial Section of the Prosecutor’s Office and is in charge of cases related to integrity violations and organised crime. It is currently composed of two specialised magistrates and will work hand in hand with the Internal Affairs Division of the French National Police (IGPN), the intelligence services and the financial crime units. > Read Article

 Several police officers charged for corruption and criminal conspiracy

Four police officers are being charged with corruption and criminal conspiracy. They are suspected of enabling the access to judicial and administrative documents to car hire company managers. Allegedly they carried out around 6,500 fraudulent operations linked to vehicles registered under the names of fictitious garages, on behalf of individuals suspected of belonging to criminal networks. The investigation allowed for 30,000 euros in cash, two vehicles and several weapons to be seized. > Read article