Malaise in Macronia.

A sitting minister, member of the Castex government, was sentenced to a six-month suspended prison sentence and three months of ineligibility.

This is the sentence imposed on Wednesday by the Paris Criminal Court against Alain Griset, current Minister in charge of SMEs (Small and medium-sized enterprises).

The prosecution had requested ten to twelve months suspended prison sentence for failing to declare, in August 2020, after his appointment to the government, part of his assets and his interests to the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP ).

He was suspected of having intentionally concealed the holding of a stock savings plan (PEA) of 171,000 euros, as well as "direct holdings" in several companies such as Française des Jeux or Natixis.

"A real desire for concealment"

Also in question, a sum of 130,000 euros placed in his PEA and which belonged to the National Confederation of Crafts, Trades and Services (Cnams) of the North, an inter-professional organization that he had headed since 1991. In delivering his judgment, the court held that Alain Griset "had chosen to conceal a substantial part of his assets" and noted two aggravating elements: the funds in question were lodged in a French bank and he "showed a real desire to concealment ”. In government since July 2020, he was the incumbent prime minister to appear before a criminal court.

Before the court, during his trial, Alain Griset maintained that he had received in August 2019 "mandate" from the Cnams to "make this sum grow over a short period in order to buy real estate". He was in passing congratulated on the capital gain of 19,000 euros achieved in eleven months. “My mandate was to manage this money as president of Cnams. Not being president any more, this mandate ended. This money did not belong to me. It never belonged to me before being minister and even less after, ”he maintained.

The HATVP had taken legal action in November 2020 after noting the omission of the Minister Delegate.

For the institution, the main aim of the omission of declaration was "to prevent the revelation of facts liable to receive the criminal qualification of breach of trust".

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

"I was badly advised", explained Mr. Griset at the hearing, rejecting "the awkwardness" on his banker, accountants and others "knowing who told me nothing".

Absent at the hearing, his lawyer, Me Patrick Maisonneuve, immediately announced that he was going to appeal this conviction.

Justice

Trial of Alain Griset: The Minister defends himself from any "dishonesty" in court

Politics

Declaration of assets: Minister Alain Griset “calmly” awaits his summons to court

  • Jean Castex

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Justice

  • Declaration of assets

  • Minister

  • Conviction

  • Trial

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