Four men of Tunisian nationality in their forties, united by family ties, brothers, brothers-in-law or spouses, appeared this Thursday, June 13, 2024 before the criminal court of Quimper (Finistère) for hidden work, aiding entry and hiring of people in an irregular situation. What they have in common: they are all employees or managers of fiber optic installation subcontracting companies in Finistère, hired by large clients. A woman, absent from the hearing and wife of one of the men present, was also prosecuted for the same facts.
It was an incidental investigation which made it possible to highlight this affair and launch the Urssaf machine. This first controlled a first company, that of the absent manager. And noted that between March 24, 2020 and April 3, 2023, the company hired dozens of people, mainly foreign nationals, most of whom did not have a residence permit. A workforce that the defendants brought from their country of origin and that they housed in lodgings in Finistère. Other workers had been hired with very late prior employment declarations.
4 million euros in turnover, 100,000 euros in payroll
These foreign “employees” were then sent to the field to carry out optical fiber installations which were very profitable for the managers. Workers, meanwhile, received much less than the minimum wage. An accounting situation that the president of the court did not fail to point out: “Over the prevention period, we have revenues of around 4 million euros for a payroll of 100,000 euros, i.e. ratio of less than 4%. It’s impossible. This is unfair competition by default! »
Furthermore, large sums of money were regularly transferred to the accounts of individuals based in Tunisia or Turkey. In total, this represents around 1,112,000 euros, without really justifying it.
But the manager’s husband has the answer to everything: “I used the sites to buy cheaper equipment. I met people in cafes and paid them. It was all in the accounting. » Unfortunately, the said compatibility would have been stolen by the accountant. For the president of the court, the explanation does not hold water: “It’s really bad timing. What point did she have in stealing everything? Plus she had to rent a van to transport everything,” he quipped.
Concerning the numerous money transfers made monthly, mainly in Tunisia and for a total amount of 500,000 euros, the same defendant maintains that they correspond to the remuneration of telephone call centers. A response which angered the president of the court: “No, no! You emptied the company’s accounts to fund other accounts in Tunisia! »
17,000 euros “for the purchase of equipment”
An unjustified transfer of 17,000 euros was particularly highlighted by the president: “If it corresponds to a day of work, you pay your employees well,” he quipped. Response from the defendant: “But no. He’s not a football player. It must also have been for the purchase of equipment. » An explanation which does not convince the president any more: “Of course. It’s as if you said that Mbappé buys his own balls for matches. »
According to what emerges from the investigation, numerous transfers were made from company accounts to personal accounts, while a sort of common pot of contracts taken and employees hired “under the table” was allegedly put in place. place. Sums of money were then transferred between the defendants, depending on the contracts obtained.
Of the four defendants present, only one of them, aged 45, was singled out by the prosecutor in her indictment. He has in fact only committed a few offenses, and is being prosecuted for aiding work and illegal residence. In the case of this manager, the prosecutor requested the exclusion of his company from public markets, a fine of 50,000 euros and the confiscation of seizures and bank accounts.
For each of the three others, which she described as an “organized gang”, she requested 18 months in prison suspended for three years, exclusion from public contracts, as well as a ban on managing and being on the national territory for 5 years. In the conclusion of her indictment, she leaves no room for doubt: “They contributed to modern-day slavery. »
The judgment was reserved until September 3, 2024.
