Three reports were sent to the Paris prosecutor concerning the use of the Marianne fund, launched by Marlène Schiappa. Above all, it would have benefited several structures
The reports sent to the Paris prosecutor on the use of the Marianne fund, launched in 2021 by Marlène Schiappa to fight against separatism, were sent to the national financial prosecutor’s office (PNF), the prosecution said on Friday.
The PNF confirmed to AFP “the receipt (Friday) of three reports sent by the Paris prosecutor’s office on the use of the Marianne fund, which are currently being analyzed”.
These three reports were sent to justice after the revelations of the weekly Marianne, France 2 et Mediapart on the opaque management of this fund endowed with 2.5 million euros launched by Marianne Schiappa, then Minister Delegate for Citizenship, and which would have mainly benefited four structures.
Funds whose use raises questions
The main beneficiary, up to 355,000 euros, would be the Union of Physical Education and Military Preparation Societies (USEPPM), according to the joint investigation by Marianne and France 2 broadcast on March 29.
However, this money would only have been used to supply a website and publications with very little follow on social networks, according to the investigation of the two media.
It would also have made it possible to pay two former USEPPM leaders, including Mohamed Sifaoui, author of books on political Islam and terrorism, up to 120,000 euros.
Anne Hidalgo particularly targeted
The president of the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency and Radicalization (CIPDR), Christian Gravel, had sent a report to the prosecution.
Mediapart then revealed that several left-wing personalities, including the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, had been denigrated in the content of Rebuild the common, a structure which “received more than 300,000 euros in public money, when it had just be created and had no known activity”.
Anne Hidalgo and the head of deputies LFI Mathilde Panot had in turn taken legal action.
A fund created after the murder of Samuel Paty
After the assassination of Samuel Paty, a professor beheaded on October 16, 2020 by a radicalized young man, Marlène Schiappa announced in April 2021 the creation of this “Marianne fund for the Republic”, aimed at financing people and associations who would carry ” discourse to promote the values of the Republic and to fight against separatist discourse, particularly on social networks and online platforms”.
Seventeen files were selected, the CIPDR announced in June 2021, but for “security reasons”, the list of beneficiaries was kept secret.
The revelations about the management of this fund have sparked a lively controversy. RN deputies have called for the creation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry, as has the PS group in the Senate.
“Talking about embezzlement or campaign financing is false and misleading,” Marlène Schiappa’s cabinet reacted to AFP, stating that it had seized the General Administration Inspectorate for an audit on this file.
