Justice is interested in Franco-Russian Dialogue.

Two investigations have been underway in Paris since 2021, for suspicions of corruption and influence peddling on the one hand and breach of trust and money laundering on the other, targeting the association, we learned on Monday at the Paris prosecutor's office, confirming information from

Le Monde

.

According to a source close to the investigation, RN MEP Thierry Mariani, who has co-chaired the association since 2012, and Yves Pozzo di Borgo, a former centrist senator, member of the association and president of a consulting firm, are at the investigation center.

A report from Tracfin in May 2021

The two preliminary investigations were opened on September 29, 2021 following a report from Tracfin, Bercy's financial intelligence unit, in May 2021, according to the prosecution.

The investigations, entrusted to the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption (Oclciff), “will have the primary objective of determining the reality of the facts denounced”, specified the same source.

According to Le Monde

, Thierry Mariani and Yves Pozzo di Borgo would have benefited in particular

from trips financed by Russia and justice would seek, according to a source familiar with the matter, to know to what extent these gifts could have served as counterparties for positions taken favorable to Moscow.

Thierry Mariani says "fall from the clouds"

Thierry Mariani for his part declared "falling from the clouds" by affirming "to have discovered by the press the existence of these investigations".

He noted that "Tracfin's report had come a month before the regional (elections)" in which he was a candidate and that it had been "a year and a half" that investigations had been carried out without his knowledge.

The MEP spoke of a “search” on the premises of the association, but, he said, the investigators were interested in the “director”.

He further affirmed that the accounts of the association were "transparent and controlled".

“I have never received any compensation” from Franco-Russian Dialogue and “I do not hold any shares in a Russian company”.

Thierry Mariani therefore announced that he would write to the "authorities" to ask to "be heard", in order to "know what was going on".

According to him, the association, for lack of contributions, had "returned the keys to the premises" it occupied.

The Franco-Russian Dialogue association was created in 2004 under the patronage of Presidents Jacques Chirac and Vladimir Poutine.

It presents itself as “a privileged instrument of communication between the political, economic and cultural circles of the two countries” and sets itself the objective of “contributing to the deepening of strategic relations and the privileged partnership between France and Russia”.

Company

Professional training account: Faced with abuse, the Assembly is ready to ban canvassing

Miscellaneous facts

Oise: A couple allegedly embezzled and laundered 19 million euros by creating several companies

  • Justice

  • Corruption

  • Whitening

  • Russia

  • Thierry Mariani