the essential
The Paris Court of Appeal is due to deliver its decision on Tuesday, July 2, in one part of the Rachida Dati – Carlos Ghosn – Renault case.
A minister Rachida Dati, a former CEO Carlos Ghosn and Renault, a symbolic brand of the automobile industry. In this case that has been going on for years, the Paris Court of Appeal will deliver its ruling on Tuesday, July 2, on a request made by the politician in one part of the case. Are you a little lost in this case? Here is a summary of the main points.
What should the Paris Court of Appeal decide?
The Paris Court of Appeal must rule on the statute of limitations for the facts that Rachida Dati is accused of. To do this, the investigating chamber will decide whether or not to submit a Priority Question of Constitutionality (QPC) to the Constitutional Council. If the courts rule in favor of the Minister of Culture, her legal troubles could end. If this is not the case, she risks a trial before a court.
What is Rachida Dati accused of?
Rachida Dati is suspected of having received 900,000 euros (300,000 euros per year) between 2010 and 2012 from the Renault-Nissan alliance via the Dutch subsidiary RNBV. At the time, she was a lawyer but also a Member of the European Parliament and a permanent member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. The investigations sought to determine whether the fee agreement between Ms. Dati and the diamond brand could have been used to hide lobbying activity in favor of Renault in the European Parliament. The investigation began in July 2019.
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€900,000: the excessive remuneration paid by Renault to Rachida Dati which questions the justice system
How does Rachida Dati defend herself?
Rachida Dati denies any irregularity and explains that she was Renault’s lawyer in the context of the international expansion of the automobile group in the Maghreb and the Middle East. In front of the judges, France Info reported ten days ago, she explained that her action had made it possible to find “stable institutional financing” for the construction of the Renault factory that opened in 2012, near Tangier in Morocco, against the backdrop of the global financial crisis and the beginning of the Arab Spring.
Some of Rachida Dati’s statements were confirmed by former Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn and his former right-hand man Patrick Pélata. However, several witnesses interviewed by France Info cast doubt on Rachida Dati’s words. A lawyer from the pool of lawyers claims that “the contracts and investment agreements were negotiated in 2007-2008.” He assures that “in 2010, everything was already tied up.” In fact, the financing agreement for the Tangier plant was signed in Rabat on July 22, 2009… 7 months before Rachida Dati began her work as a lawyer for the Renault subsidiary.
Several senior Renault executives at the time claimed “not to be aware of an intervention by Rachida Dati in Morocco”. Rachida Dati’s response to the judges who questioned her about these comments, according to France Info: “It is not at all surprising that they were not informed of my intervention”.
Read also :
Renault/Carlos Ghosn case: investigation opened after complaint against Rachida Dati and Alain Bauer
Where is the investigation?
Rachida Dati has been questioned four times by the courts. On July 21, 2021, she was indicted for “corruption and passive influence peddling by a person holding a public elective mandate”. The investigations will end in September 2023. The national financial prosecutor’s office is due to make its submissions soon. The investigating judge will then decide whether or not Rachida Dati is referred to the Paris Criminal Court.
