what Justice accuses Philippe Tabarot of

It did not even take a month for the Bayrou government, formed at the end of December 2024, to be already embroiled in a legal case. The Minister of Transport, Philippe Tabarot, is the subject of a preliminary investigation for embezzlement of public funds and illegal taking of interests.

The report leading to this judicial investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office comes directly from the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP) and dates from 2021, according to the newspaper The Worldwho revealed the affair this Monday January 13, 2025.

137,872 euros net in 2019

According to his declaration of interests, dated November 30, 2020, he was director of the Public Interest Group (GIP) of the commune of Cannet (Alpes-Maritimes) from April 2018 to July 2020.

A body created in 2017 to promote the tourist and cultural development of the city, led at the time by his sister, Michele Tabarot, current president of the LR group in the Assembly.

For this position, Philippe Tabarot received 82,473 euros net in 2019or nearly 6,900 euros per month. He was also paid 17,997 euros net between August and November 2020, or nearly 4,500 euros per month, as project manager of this GIP for the tourist and cultural development of the town of Le Cannet.

At the same time, in 2019, he earned some 15,318 euros as communications manager for this municipalityor 1,276 euros per month. At that time, he was also elected to the regional council of Provence-Alpes-Côtes-d'Azur and received around 40,000 euros net per year as vice-president in charge of Transport between 2015 and 2021.

The new minister declared, still according to the daily, 137,872 euros net for 2019 alone.

A search took place on November 30, 2022 at the home of Philippe Tabarot and in the premises of the Cannet town hall and the Cannet GIP,” said a judicial source. “The preliminary investigation is still ongoing,” she added

Misappropriation of public funds and illegal taking of interests

Concretely, Justice will seek to know whether the positions occupied by the current Minister of Transport in the City of Cannet, long managed by his sister, do not constitute acts of embezzlement of public funds and illegal taking of interests.

For a budget of 1.7 million euros, financed by the municipality and the tourist office, the GIP was, according to The Worldloss-making, with operating income amounting to only 600,000 euros per year and an operating cost of three million euros per year.

The Minister of Transport resigned from this post in 2020 to devote himself to the senatorial elections, but “wished to retain the promotional part of the GIP’s activities”.

“I have nothing to reproach myself for (…) I worked effectively with remuneration which is framed in the greatest transparency”, he defended himself this Monday, during a trip to Roissy for a visit on the theme of quality of services to users.

“If I had done something so reprehensible, I would not have been chosen to be part of this government. So, I am very calm on these questions,” added the minister, who for the record, learned of his appointment to the government on television.

With AFP.

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