A search was carried out on Tuesday at the prefecture of Orléans as part of an investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) into suspicions of illegal taking of interests targeting the prefect of the Centre-Val de Loire region, learned the AFP from sources familiar with the matter.
According to these sources, confirming information from Le Parisien, this investigation relates to suspicions of intervention by the prefect Régine Engstrm concerning a real estate project in Montargis (Loiret) developed by the former employer of the prefect, the promoter Nexity.
Asked, the PNF confirmed that it had opened a preliminary investigation into the heads of illegal taking of interest in March 2022.
Searches took place this (Tuesday) morning as part of this file, added the public prosecutor specializing in these financial files.
According to Le Parisien, in addition to the prefecture, the offices as well as the residence of the senior civil servant, presented by the daily as close to the Head of State Emmanuel Macron, were also searched, which the PNF did not confirm. .
Ms. Engstrm took office as prefect of the Centre-Val de Loire and Loiret region on March 1, 2021.
According to her official CV, Régine Engstrm was, between November 2019 and her taking office as Prefect of Orleans, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Social and Environmental Responsibility at Nexity. Previously, she had worked in particular within the services of the town hall of Paris, between 1993 and 1999 then from 2003 to 2014, then made a passage in the ministerial office of the Ecological Transition then in the Territories between 2016 and 2019.
At the end of January, Mediapart had assured in an article that Ms. Engstrm had supported a real estate project of Nexity Montargis against the position of the State services, even though she would have announced her deportation, to no longer deal with this file, had kept his past functions.
The project in question provided for the destruction of part of the Gudin barracks, built in the 19th century and under the regime of the historic monument classification body, to build a high-end senior residence there, according to the site of information online.
Opponents argued that there was heritage damage.
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At the beginning of March, the barracks were included in the inventory of historical monuments, according to an email from the Minister of Culture of elected officials revealed by local media.
In a press release, the prefecture indicated that it had not commented on investigations decided by a judicial institution.
Regarding the case of the Gudin barracks, there are no new elements. For the record, the prefect has, upon his arrival, deported from this file, said the institution.
To date, the three buildings surrounding the place d’armee are listed in full as historical monuments, by prefectural decree published on March 10, 2022, the prefecture also pointed out regarding the Gudin barracks.
Contact, Nexity did not wish to react.