The Minister of Labor said that the offense of “favoritism” had been retained by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office in the case of two works of art received as gifts in 2017.
Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt, on the front line of the pension reform project, announced on Friday that the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) had upheld the offense of “favoritism” in the case of two works of art received as gifts. in 2017, learned BFMTV, confirming information from Mediapart.
In a briefing note addressed to his lawyer, “the prosecution considers that there remains only one grievance, in this case a formal offense of favoritism in a 2009 public contract”, declared Olivier Dussopt, adding that “no corruption “is not blamed on him.
“A press article from May 2020 thought it necessary to implicate me for links that as mayor at the time of the city of Annonay I would have had with a water treatment company”, announced Olivier Dussopt to BFMTV .
He added: “I remind you that it is thanks to the decisions taken by my municipal team that we have lowered considerably, for the benefit of Annoneans and in a sustainable way, the price of drinking water and water treatment. worn.”
The objective of “convincing”
The Minister of Labor admitted having explained himself to the PNF who “considers that four out of five of these grievances have no substance and they have closed them without further action”.
He concluded: “I will convince of the merits of my position and my good faith on this last point remaining to be decided.”
These two lithographs had been offered by a local manager of Saur, a French water treatment group, when a contract was about to be concluded between the town of Annonay (Ardèche) and this company. The contract, negotiated since 2016, was formally signed six months later, on June 1, 2017.
Olivier Dussopt then explained that he had not declared these lithographs to the ethics officer of the National Assembly – as is required for any gift of more than 150 euros – because he “did not know the value” of the two paintings. He then returned them.
