#Criminal tax law:
UBS agrees to pay approximately €800 million in connection with a guilty plea in France
Swiss bank UBS has agreed to pay approximately €700 million in fines and €105 million in damages to the French government to settle a tax fraud case in France as part of a plea bargain (CRPC). The case involved cross-border activities carried out between 2004 and 2012. In 2023, the Court of Cassation upheld UBS’ conviction for illegal solicitation of clients and aggravated money laundering, while referring the assessment of penalties to the Court of Appeal. This agreement puts an end to a major tax dispute involving a foreign bank in France and cancels a third trial before the Paris Court of Appeal. > Read article
#White collar crime:
A bill to strengthen the fight against financial fraud
A bill was introduced on 16 September 2025 to enhance the powers of the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) in response to the rise of financial fraud. The text suggests introducing a leniency mechanism to encourage perpetrators or accomplices to cooperate, the use of borrowed identities and web scraping techniques for investigations, as well as allowing the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) to call on AMF investigators in certain cases. It also proposes simplifying AMF procedures, including the imposition of penalty payments for non-compliance with injunctions, external audits, and access to data from the Directorate General of Public Finances concerning individuals under investigation. > Read article
55 gold bars and millions of euros: a vast international money laundering network linked to the DZ Mafia dismantled
An international money laundering network linked to drug trafficking has been dismantled, leading to the arrest of eight individuals in France and Italy The investigation, conducted since December 2024 by the French and Italian authorities, revealed a system whereby large sums of money were collected in France, converted into gold in Italy, and then transported to Kosovo and Turkey.. The network, allegedly connected to the Marseille-based DZ Mafia, is believed to have laundered over €30 million. Searches led to the seizure of 55 gold bars, €2.4 million in cash, vehicles, and luxury goods. > Read article
Nicolas Sarkozy sentenced to five years in prison for criminal conspiracy in the Libyan campaign financing case
On 8 July 2025, the Paris Criminal Court has sentenced Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison, with a deferred warrant for provisional enforcement, for criminal conspiracy in the alleged Libyan financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. He was acquitted of charges of corruption, illegal campaign financing, and embezzlement. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy will be summoned again before the prosecutor to decide on the terms of his sentence (date and place of imprisonment). > Read article
#Anti-Bribery and Corruption:
CJIP Surys: A Fine, Compliance Measures, and Compensation for the Victim
On 8 July 2025, Surys signed a judicial public interest agreement (CJIP) with the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office for foreign public official bribery, embezzlement, and money laundering. The company agreed to pay a €18.36 million fine and compensate the Ukrainian state with €3.77 million. Surys will also undergo a three-year compliance program supervised by the French Anti-Corruption Agency. This CJIP highlights the critical role of third-party integrity assessments in detecting and preventing corruption. > Read article
