Has there been favoritism in the award of the Thouaré city hall market to Loire Océan development? The investigation carried out by the judicial police does not concern personal enrichment. This is to check the regularity of the procedure.
What is he blaming for the former mayor of Thouaré-sur-Loire?
Like the other four people in custody, he is suspected of favoritism. At issue:
construction of the town hall of Thouaré-sur-Loire, which was carried out through a public-private partnership.
The hounds of the judicial police seek to find out whether or not there has been a crime of favoritism towards Loire Ocean development. The judicial police are interested in the way in which the construction market of the city hall was awarded to the Loire Ocean development company. The investigation would be limited to the question of the legality of treatment of candidates in a market.
According to several sources, the former mayor of Thouaré went to the convocation of the judicial police Wednesday, November 21 without being assisted by a lawyer, not thinking of being placed in custody. After the police custody, no indictment was pronounced. "I trust the justice and my two collaborators (who have been detained for 28 hours, Ed) recognized as excellent professionals, says Pascal Pras, current president of Loire Ocean Development but who was not at the controls at the time of the facts. They gave all the items requested by the investigators .
What is the offense of favoritism?
Undermining equal access to public procurement. Loire Ocean Development accompanied the former mayor, Bernard Chesneau (PS), in the preparation of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. However, it is this same company which then obtained the market. Did LOD or not have an advantage in responding to the call for tenders and thus prevent competitors from obtaining the contract?
What is Loire Ocean development?
It is a mixed economy company, which at the material time was majority owned by the City of Saint-Herblain. Loire Océan Développement, of which Nantes Métropole holds 52% of the shares since January 2017, is a developer. In charge in particular of the acquisition or the viabilisation and the sale of land for individuals or companies. Created in 1965, it also counts among its shareholders the Caisse des dépôts and consignations and several banks such as BPA, Crédit Mutuel or Caisse d'Epargne.
It achieved a turnover of 37 million euros in 2017.
The strong reservations of the Regional Chamber of Accounts
In its report dated October 2014, the Regional Chamber of Accounts (CRC) expressed "its strongest reservations about this choice of PPP" . Because the three conditions to frame such a financial package, namely the urgency, complexity and balance advantages and disadvantages, were not in his eyes met.
The CRC magistrates studied the cost to the community. Bernard Chesneau, who was facing a large debt, inherited from the previous right-wing majority, was hoping for a "14% gain" thanks to the PPP. This financial package, on the contrary according to the CRC, "generated a surplus of public expenditure of 1.8 million euros" .