Former socialist Secretary of State Thierry Mandon is expected to appear in court this Monday for “scams” and “attempted embezzlement of public property” in connection with his former functions as general director of the Cité du Design in Saint-Etienne. The former politician, whose trial scheduled for June 20 before the Saint-Etienne criminal court had been postponed at his request for “medical reasons”, will also have to answer for “forgery and use of forgery in writing” and “abuse of corporate assets”, at the end of the investigation conducted by the prosecution.
Thierry Mandon, 66, was appointed in 2018 general director of the Cité du design, a public establishment for cultural cooperation (EPCC) inaugurated in 2009 dedicated to art and research.
Report to justice
He resigned in October 2022, citing “personal reasons”, while the structure was facing financial difficulties.
Based on an audit entrusted to a law firm, the president of the Cité du design Marc Chassaubéné, also deputy for culture of Saint-Etienne, made a report to the courts in November 2022, accusing Mr. Mandon of having presented an “insincere budget” and having misappropriated funds “via false invoices and false certificates”.
“Errors” and “negligence”
On the basis of this report, justice opened an investigation and Thierry Mandon, placed in police custody on June 13 and 14, 2023, partially admitted the facts, citing “errors” and “negligence”.
He had also reimbursed some 28,000 euros to SAS Cité Services, the commercial subsidiary of the EPCC, which was liquidated last summer.
The Cité du design, civil party, for its part, evokes a “premeditation in the actions of Mr. Mandon”, who incurs a “maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of one million euros for the attempted embezzlement of public good.”
Former Secretary of State for State Reform and Simplification (from 2014 to 2015), also Secretary of State for Higher Education and Research (from 2015 to 2017) under the presidency of François Hollande, had also been general director of the short-lived Ebdo magazine in 2018.
Since June 2023, he has been secretary general of the National Commerce Council, chaired by the head of government.
