The fight against fraud represented 900,000 euros in Creuse in 2023. Half concerns observed fraud, the other half concerns avoided fraud, because the services intervened in time. The departmental anti-fraud operational committee takes stock of the past year. This CODAF brings together the police, gendarmerie, public prosecutor’s office, prefecture and public finances.
“900,000 euros in Creuse is important, it shows that we are all present to enforce the law”comments Luc Estruch, departmental director of public finances.
“Working without being declared is a national sport in France”
The most significant fraud in Creuse concerns hidden work : she represented 143,000 euros last year according to the URSSAF. “Working without being declared is a bit like the national sport in Francetackles the public prosecutor Alexandra Pethieu. We are here to restore the imbalance which is causing harm to public finances, because public finances are all those who pay their taxes and who legitimately expect those who do not pay them to be worried.
The fight against fraud is a collaboration between all services. In Guéret, the police particularly monitor businesses likely to launder money. For the moment, there is no fraud, specifies Commissioner Xavier Badier: “Controls have focused on fast food establishments. In Guéret things are going very well, these are not brands that change ownership every three weeks.”
Last December, the police also checked around twenty medical transport taxis : here too, no significant fraud noted, just a few fixed fines for an amount of 1259 euros.
An investigation into pimping in Creuse
The Creuse anti-fraud committee also fights against illegal constructionsassociations carrying out lucrative activities (which causes a distortion of competition with businesses), illegal garages, registration fraud, and finally prostitution.
Creuse is in fact not spared from prostitution. Last year, hotel rooms would have been used in this framework. The supposed pimp lives in Creuse, but the activity takes place largely on the internet, explains Lieutenant-Colonel Dimitri Lehaire: “In Creuse as in many departments, prostitution is dematerialized, it no longer takes place on public roads but on the web.”
