France: lithographs of Minister Olivier Dussopt in the viewfinder of justice

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

In France, the home of a member of the government, Olivier Dussopt, was searched by the police on Tuesday August 18. This search was carried out as part of an investigation for corruption, illegal taking of interest and favoritism. In 2017, the Minister of Public Accounts received two lithographs offered by a company in the city of which he was then mayor.

Publicity

Two lithographs, works by contemporary French painter Gérard Garouste, estimated at 2,000 euros: these are the gifts received in January 2017 by Olivier Dussopt, then deputy mayor of Annonay, in Ardèche. Two gifts offered by a local executive from Saur, one of the leaders in the water market in France.

The problem is that Olivier Dussopt received these two works just days after the announcement of a partnership between his town and the industrial group. This is why the politician finds himself in the crosshairs of the national financial prosecutor's office, which opened an investigation and therefore ordered the Central Office for the fight against corruption and financial and fiscal offenses to carry out a search of his home.

"  Although there is nothing wrong, I returned the lithographs  "

After his local and regional mandates, Olivier Dussopt entered the government, first at the end of 2017 as Secretary of State in charge of the public service in the government of Edouard Philippe. In mid-May, the Mediapart news site revealed this embarrassing affair of gifts, thus prompting the opening of an investigation by the national financial prosecution.

This did not prevent Olivier Dussopt from taking a little more prominence recently: since July 6, he has been Minister Delegate in charge of Public Accounts in the government of Jean Castex . Before this promotion, Olivier Dussopt explained that he had not declared these lithographs because he "  did not know their value  ". As a reminder, any gift over 150 euros must be declared to the ethics officer of the National Assembly.

“  The prosecution is continuing the checks it wishes to make. This is normal and it will show that there is nothing to reproach me with. I returned the lithographs several weeks ago. Although there is nothing reprehensible, I preferred to return them to end this controversy  ”, declared the Minister Delegate to AFP. According to Mediapart , a search also took place on Tuesday and Wednesday August 19 in the premises of Saur.

(With AFP)

Newsletter Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

• French politics
• France
• Corruption

On the same subject

France: outcry after the words of Eric Dupont-Moretti against the "ayatollahs of ecology"

France: Jean Castex, in office for a month, multiple trips