Press Review - Week of 27 October 2025

Press Review – Week of 27 October 2025

This week’s press review covers the decision to release former banker Wahib Nacer, who was convicted in the Libyan case for aggravated money laundering and complicity in influence peddling. It also highlights the appeal to the Court of Cassation by the Mayor of Roubaix in a tax fraud case involving a system of fictitious donations, as well as the complaint filed by an LFI deputy after being targeted in a Tracfin report. Finally, it highlights that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has removed Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa from its “grey list” of jurisdictions under enhanced monitoring.

#White collar crime:

Libyan trial: court releases former banker Wahib Nacer despite prosecutor’s opposition

On 28 October, Wahib Nacer, an 81-year-old former banker, convicted of aggravated money laundering and complicity in influence peddling in the Libyan case, was released following a decision by the Paris Court of Appeal. He had been imprisoned since 25 September. Although the prosecution had opposed his release, citing a potential flight risk, Wahib Nacer, who maintained that he had never attempted to flee, will now remain under strict judicial supervision, including a travel ban and a requirement to report regularly to the police. His lawyer, Benjamin Bohbot, described the decision as “wise and legally sound”. > Read article

Tax fraud: the Mayor of Roubaix before the Court of Cassation, his political future at stake

On 29 October 2025, the Court of Cassation had to rule in the case of tax fraud involving the Mayor of Roubaix, Guillaume Delbar. Between 2015 and 2020, he allegedly benefited, along with several other individuals, from a system of fictitious donations through which donators obtained tax deductions and reimbursements of for their donations by financing “ghost microparties”. He had been sentenced in both the first instance and on appeal to a six months’ suspended imprisonment, a €3,000 fine and two years of ineligibility, penalties, and had decided to lodge an appeal with the Court of Cassation. The Court’s decision is expected on 26 November 2025. > Read article

Targeted by a Tracfin note, LFI MP Carlos Martens Bilongo files a complaint

Carlos Martens Bilongo, an LFI deputy, filed a complaint for “false accusation,” “intelligence with a foreign power,” “corruption,” “influence peddling,” and “spreading false information” after being targeted by a Tracfin report that allegedly contained “gross accounting errors”. According to him, the United Arab Emirates allegedly, directly or indirectly, requested that Tracfin open an investigation following the criticisms he had made regarding the COP28 held in Dubai. The investigation, opened for fraud and money laundering in 2023, had been closed without further action in January 2025. Carlos Maretns Bilongo notably denounces a self-referral by Tracfin, which was denied by Amélie de Montchalin, Minister of Public Accounts. > Read article

#Export control & International sanctions:

Jurisdictions under increased monitoring

Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa were removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list,” which identifies countries under enhanced monitoring in the area of anti–money laundering, counter–terrorism financing and proliferation financing. The FATF, which analyzes shortcomings in certain jurisdictions and places them on this list to assist them in addressing these deficiencies, decided that these four countries had made significant progress to resolve their strategic deficiencies they faced within the agreed deadlines. > Read article