Former French Culture Minister Rachida Dati goes on trial in Renault-Nissan case
The trial of former French Culture Minister Rachida Dati has begun in Paris, France, in a case involving alleged illegal lobbying on behalf of the Renault-Nissan automotive group. As The Guardian reports, the 60-year-old politician is accused of receiving €900,000 in fees for legal services from Renault-Nissan’s Dutch subsidiary while serving as a member of the European Parliament.
The parties’ positions
French prosecutors believe that these payments were compensation for lobbying activities in favor of the carmaker. Such activity is prohibited for members of the European Parliament. Prosecutors also said they had found insufficient evidence that Dati performed legal work for the company.
Dati’s lawyers deny all corruption allegations. According to them, she worked exclusively as a lawyer for Renault-Nissan’s Dutch entity. The defense described the allegations of influence peddling in the European Parliament as unfounded and based on an artificial construction created by the prosecution.
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In 2019, Dati was placed under investigation on suspicion of illegally lobbying for Renault-Nissan between October 2009 and February 2013, when she was a member of the European Parliament. Prosecutors claim that a legal services contract concluded in 2009 between Dati and then Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn may have concealed lobbying activities. Under the contract, Dati was paid €300,000 annually.
The Carlos Ghosn case
Former Renault-Nissan head Carlos Ghosn is being tried alongside Dati, although his case will be heard in absentia. In November 2018, Ghosn was detained in Japan in a separate case involving alleged financial violations. He later fled to Lebanon, hiding in a container for audio equipment. Ghosn denies wrongdoing in both the Japanese case and the Dati case.
If found guilty, Dati faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to €450,000, and a possible five-year ban on holding public office. In another investigation, she is also accused of receiving nearly €300,000 in undeclared payments from the energy group GDF Suez while serving in the European Parliament. Dati denies wrongdoing in all cases.
