"Koh Lantess" in Fresnes: what the administrative report says about its organization

William Molinié and Solène Leroux 8:14 p.m., August 23, 2022, modified at 8:15 p.m., August 23, 2022

Éric Dupond-Moretti, was visiting Fleury-Mérogis prison on Tuesday afternoon, officially to announce the creation of 15,000 additional prison places in France.

The Keeper of the Seals spoke above all for the first time on the controversy surrounding Koh Lantess, this sporting event organized at the end of July at the Fresnes penitentiary center.

He claims that he was not aware that a go-kart race was going to be organized within the prison itself.

The Minister of Justice demanded this weekend the opening of an investigation.

Europe 1 had access to the report of the investigation: what does it say exactly?

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Director pointed out

It's a nine-page report.

The main lesson is that it points primarily to responsibilities, that of the director of the Fresnes prison.

He validated the project "from the end of June 2022", specifies the report.

He himself recognizes an error of assessment.

He was also on annual leave during meetings to prepare for the event.

Moreover, the interregional director, his immediate superior, learned of the existence of the event too late, he says, on July 21.

According to the report, he voiced his disapproval four days later, but given the organization already engaged, the event could not be canceled. 

Neither the chancellery, let alone the minister's office, was aware of this sports competition, according to this report, in any case not in detail, particularly with regard to the karting event and the water basin.

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What about funding

Many questions have been raised following the organization of Koh Lantess, especially that of financing.

"The cost of the event was fully covered by the Unitess association", responsible for the organization.

Thus, "the prison administration did not finance the project", assures the report.

On the other hand, "the establishment simply financed the prizes awarded under the terms of the tests consisting of modest donations for the benefit of the associations selected by the teams".

In total, 2,700 euros were committed.

Selection of prisoners

Another question: the selection of prisoners who participated in the project.

Two of them were convicted of rape and murder.

Eleven detainees were selected according to several criteria: only definitively sentenced, serving short sentences ("with the exception of two of them"), investing in detention (four of them are preparing diplomas), and "detainees whose evolution of behavior in detention was considered positive by the teams".

The report points out: "All the detainees selected (...) having been the subject of an evaluation by the teams correspond to a completely classic operating mode when it comes to a socio-cultural or sporting activity. organized in detention."

Sixteen detainees also attended the event.

Towards a better validation circuit

The investigation report recommends, through a note, to clarify the validation circuit within the ministry.

Prison reintegration projects will now have to be validated by the prison administration.

"We hope that with this report, it will be the end of the controversy", confides a source from the chancellery to Europe 1. Everything therefore seems to point to Jimmy Delliste, the director of the Fresnes prison, who wanted to "carry out an operation charity based on effort and the values ​​of sport".

It remains to be seen whether he will be ousted: the prison guards' unions demanded his head at the very moment when this affair broke out.