This Tuesday Alain Griset appeared before the Paris Criminal Court for "incomplete or false declaration of his patrimonial situation" and "of his interests".

The Paris prosecutor's office had summoned the minister in charge of SMEs to appear, following an investigation opened in November 2020 after a report from the HATVP, which collects asset declarations from members of the government.

The defense of the 68-year-old minister did not convince the prosecution, which requested against him ten to twelve months suspended prison sentence.

Before the Paris Criminal Court, the prosecutor increased his requisitions with a fine and, above all, with a three-year ineligibility sentence which, he took pleasure in specifying, would "automatically entail the prohibition of to exercise public functions ”and thus put an end to his functions as minister.

"Not only is the accused in bad faith, but he is in particular bad faith", insisted the magistrate.

Requests for "death penalty"

These remarks offended Alain Griset's lawyer, Me Patrick Maisonneuve.

On leaving the courtroom, he did not hesitate to qualify the requisitions as "the death penalty against a minister, the death penalty for the office".

The Minister Delegate failed to declare "financial participations held in a share savings plan (PEA), as well as the associated cash account" for an amount of 171,000 euros.

These funds, according to a source familiar with the matter, come from the office of the National Confederation of Crafts, Trades and Services (Cnams) of the North, which in 2019 had entrusted some 130,000 euros to Alain Griset, its then president, so that he places them on his PEA.

"I was badly advised" defends Griset

At the hearing Tuesday, Alain Griset, charcoal suit, white shirt and gray tie, pleaded good faith. "I was badly advised", he repeated, rejecting "the awkwardness" on his banker, accountants and other "knowing who told me nothing". “We tried to do the best. We are not lawyers ”, explained the minister. “At no time did I want to cheat, steal or hide anything,” defended the defendant, who claims to have already “paid in terms of image” for the consequences of this affair.

At the helm, he recalled in detail his modest origins, his lack of diplomas.

"I am bac -8," he said.

“From A to Z, I tried to be transparent, honest”.

“In no case did I take a penny from anyone.

I never used this money to go to restaurants, travel or anything, ”continued Alain Griset.

“This money never belonged to me.

It did not belong to me before I became minister and even less after, ”said the minister.

Alain Griset "never wanted to cheat or conceal"

The funds come from the office of the National Confederation of Crafts, Trades and Services (Cnams) of the North, which in 2019 had entrusted some 130,000 euros to Alain Griset, its then president, to place them on its PEA. It was, according to Alain Griset, to make this sum grow. But, for the HATVP, the omission of declaration was essentially intended "to prevent the revelation of facts likely to receive the criminal qualification of breach of trust".

The prosecutor recalled on this occasion that the Cnams, as a legal person, did not have the right to open a PEA reserved for natural persons.

Alain Griset declared this account to the HATVP only after this institution sent him a letter in which it informed him of its existence.

“I couldn't before because the account was being restructured,” said Alain Griset.

In his plea, his lawyer in turn assured that his client had "never wanted to cheat or conceal".

"If there was a desire to cheat, would it have happened in the small bank branch that Mr. Griset has frequented for years?"

», Asked Me Maisonneuve.

The court's decision will be released on December 8.

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  • Corruption

  • Court

  • Justice

  • Trial

  • Patrimony

  • Parquet

  • SME

  • Declaration of assets