Most were sentenced to prison. 11 people were sentenced this Thursday, September 26 by the Colmar criminal court, indicates Agence France Presse. Justice accuses them of fraud in state aid to businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Between 2020 and 2021, the defendants had unduly received partial unemployment aid. Among them, five business leaders from Alsace and one from the Ile-de-France region.
Up to four years in prison
The suspects, from the Turkish community, were mostly sentenced to prison. The penalties imposed range from four years in prison and a 30,000 euro fine for the most severefive months suspended sentence and a fine of 10,000 euros for the lightest sentence. Some had managed to receive large sums. A Colmar mechanic had thus unduly received 108,000 euros in aid, a facade renovation contractor had received 180,000 euros. In total, they will have to pay a fine of 155,000 euros and pay 548,000 euros in damages to the Services and Payment Agency, the public organization responsible for paying aid to businesses, explains AFP.
In its decision, the court also imposed eight bans on running a business. Three other people were acquitted in this case.
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