They are at the heart of the suspicion of fraud.

Tuesday, at the appeal of the controversial arbitration of 2008, the magistrates looked into the links between Bernard Tapie, his lawyer Maurice Lantourne and the former magistrate Pierre Estoup.

The first is weakened by cancer, the third absent since the start of the trial for medical reasons, it is therefore the lawyer who finds himself in the hot seat for three half-days of tense hearings.

A thirty-year-old conflict

Standing at the helm, Me Lantourne regularly embarks on long developments on a file that he has known by heart for more than 25 years: that of the conflict between Bernard Tapie and Crédit Lyonnais, around the resale of Adidas in the years 1990.

After years of proceedings, a private arbitration, supposed to settle the dispute, had awarded in 2008 some 403 million euros to the businessman - an award since annulled in civil proceedings for "fraud" and that the six defendants are suspected to have piped.

The arbitral tribunal was then composed of three men, including Pierre Estoup, previously acquired, according to the prosecution, in the cause of the former boss of Olympique de Marseille.

Skepticism of the president

President Sophie Clément lists a series of dates: on Mr. Estoup's 2006 diary, on June 30, “Tapie” is noted.

The next day, an employee of Me Lantourne drew up an argued note in favor of arbitration.

Four days later, a letter mentions the sending to the retired magistrate of "numerous documents from the Tapie file".

"We sent him documents as part of a pre-contact, to find out if, possibly, he could be an arbitrator", answers the bar Me Lantourne, who refutes any culpable proximity with Mr. Estoup.

However, "we are in September 2006", that is to say "a year" before the arbitration procedure is even decided, notes, skeptical, the president.

"There was already a converging will" to follow this path, assures the defendant, who faces a rolling fire of questions before being angry with the investigation: "The exculpatory elements, they did not seek them!

"

The investigations showed that Mr. Estoup and Mr. Lantourne had participated in other joint arbitrations before this one and that they had had many professional exchanges.

So many cases that have "nothing to do", defends the lawyer.

Dedication

At first instance, the six defendants - including the boss of Orange Stéphane Richard, then chief of staff to the Minister of the Economy Christine Lagarde - were released.

The prosecution appealed.

This second trial, which began in October, was quickly dismissed due to the state of health of Bernard Tapie, who was 78 years old with cancer.

Since the resumption of the debates on May 10, he is present "against the advice of his doctors" and his lawyer, declared the latter.

Tuesday, he is invited to speak from his seat but shakes his head, gets up and approaches the bar: "I'm happy to see you up close".

"It's been two days now that we cook Mr. Lantourne to know the reality of the relations between them", he said in a thin line of voice.

But Credit Lyonnais "chose Jean-Denis Bredin as arbitrator", a lawyer whose firm had worked for the bank, assures Mr. Tapie.

"Does that seem normal to you?"

"

“I attended a meeting with the three referees, it was a caricature”.

Mr. Estoup, suspected of having played a major role in the decision, "could not ask a question, it is to tell you how far he was from being the leader," he quipped.

Then he returns to a dedication of his book “Librement”, in which he testified in 1998 to Pierre Estoup - spelled “Estoupe” - of his “infinite gratitude”.

A text written from a distance, to thank him for having investigated his "morality" when he wanted to get back into business when he left prison, but without them knowing each other personally, swears Bernard Tapie.

“This is the only time I indirectly had a relationship with Estoup.

To tell you how much: the autographed book, he hadn't even opened it!

The trial is due to end on June 14 at the latest.

Justice

Arbitration case: Resumption this Monday of the appeal trial of Bernard Tapie

Justice

Tapie case: Arbitration appeal trial postponed for medical reasons to May 2021

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