At the end of June, an investigation by the Labor Inspectorate was launched after an article in the sports daily L'Equipe detailing a "deep social malaise" within the GIP (Public Interest Group) France 2023, the institution in charge of the organization of the Mondial headed by Mr. Atcher.
This decision, "during the time necessary to close the investigation", was taken in consultation with the French Rugby Federation and the CNOSF (French National Olympic and Sports Committee).
It comes after a report by the ethics committee which reports on the part of Atcher "alarming managerial practices altering the functioning of the structure and the state of suffering of a certain number of employees".
"Atcher will no longer be present or active, directly or indirectly, within, in the name of and on behalf of the GIP during the period of layoff," the ministry said in a statement.
An exceptional board of directors will meet on Friday, adds the body, to "validate that the missions of the general manager will be carried out by Mr. Julien Collette, deputy general manager of the GIP".
In an article in L'Equipe, several employees of the organizing committee, former and current, denounced on condition of anonymity the "management by terror" set up by Atcher and his chief of staff within the GIP.
"A joint mission of the General Inspectorate of Finance and the General Inspectorate of Education, Sport and Research is triggered by the State to, on the one hand, analyze the existence of possible breaches of economic and financial probity or conflicts of interest and on the other hand, to support the GIP in the organization of some of its strategic programs", ends the press release.
The Mondial-2023 is scheduled in France from September 8 to October 28.
© 2022 AFP