Press review
6 September 2024

Press review – Week of 2 September 2024

This week’s press review focuses on Nicolas Sarkozy’s request for additional information in the Libyan financing affair, on the searches carried out in France and Belgium for corruption of a foreign official in Chad, and on the sentencing of 14 people for professional training fraud.

 

#Anti-bribery & Corruption:

Libyan financing case: Nicolas Sarkozy requests additional information

Nicolas Sarkozy, accused of receiving Libyan funding for his 2007 presidential campaign, has asked for documents discovered in parallel legal proceedings to be added to the case file. One of these documents, drawn up by the “Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure” (DGSI) in connection with the retraction of the testimony of the Franco-Lebanese intermediary Ziad Takkiedine, questions the veracity of the “Libyan note”. This note, which has been confirmed by the courts on several occasions, mentions Muammar Gaddafi’s agreement to finance the presidential campaign of the former French president in 2007. > Read article

Chad: searches in France and Belgium on suspicion of corruption

Several executives of the Belgian company CFE, including two French nationals, have been questioned as part of a corruption investigation. They are suspected of having bribed Chadian officials on behalf of CFE, which was responsible for the construction and delivery of the Ndjamena hotel in Chad. Several bribes were allegedly paid to obtain payment of the company’s 60 million euros invoice from the Chadian government. Several searches have been carried out in Belgium and France as part of this investigation, which also aims to determine the use of nearly 12 million euros withdrawn from the company’s account at Société Générale’s Chadian subsidiary. > Read article

 

#White-collar crime:

Professional training fraud: 14 people sentenced for a €3 million scam

On Wednesday 4 September, 14 people were sentenced by the Paris Criminal Court for fraud and organized group fraud for managing or working for private companies that issued false invoices to approved collective training organizations (OPCAs) between 2009 and 2014. They exploited the weaknesses of the compulsory training system by overstating the number of hours, charging fees up to the legal maximum and even offering “exotic” training courses with titles similar to those paid for by the OPCAs. Investigators from the Office Central pour la Répression de la Grande Délinquance Financière (Central Office for the Repression of Serious Financial Crime) have estimated the damage at around 3 million euros, public money earmarked for employee training. > Read article

Related content

Press review
25 April 2025
Press review – Week of 21 April 2025
This week’s press review covers the release of Prince Paul of Romania by French authorities, despite a European arrest warrant...
Press review
18 April 2025
Press review – Week of 14 April 2025
This week’s press review covers the extension of the investigation into Eric Garandeau for illegal taking of interest in the...
Press review
11 April 2025
Press review – Week of 7 April 2025
This week’s press review covers the European Parliament's vote to postpone the application of the CSRD to certain companies, as...
Press review
4 April 2025
Press review – Week of 31 March 2025
This week’s press review covers the 150 million euro fine imposed by the French Competition Authority on several subsidiaries of...
Press review
28 March 2025
Press review – Week of 24 March 2025
This week’s press review covers the summoning of Élysée Secretary General Alexis Kohler to a Senate committee of inquiry into...
Press review
21 March 2025
Press review – Week of 17 March 2025
This week’s press review covers the lawsuit filed by two NGOs against Carrefour for failing to exercise due diligence in...
Press review
14 March 2025
Press review – Week of 10 March 2025
This week’s press review covers the conviction of the Swiss bank UBS for moral harassment against whistleblowers, as well as...
Press review
7 March 2025
Press review – Week of 3 March 2025
This week’s press review covers an independent commission of enquiry set up by Betharram religious congregation, the Court of justice...
Press review
28 February 2025
Press review – Week of 24 February 2025
This week’s press review covers European news, including the adoption of the 16th package of sanctions against Russia, the suspension...
Press review
21 February 2025
Press review – Week of 17 February 2025
This week’s press review covers the decree signed by Donald Trump on corruption, the fine imposed by the Autorité des...
Press review
14 February 2025
Press review – Week of 10 February 2025
This week’s press review covers the upcoming summons of the mayor of Fréjus for illegal interest taking, the CJIP (French...
Press review
7 February 2025
Press review – Week of 3 February 2025
This week’s press review covers offences against environment, especially the trial against Nestlé company, an investigation in Guinea on pollution...