The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) opened a preliminary investigation on March 31 for aggravated money laundering of tax evasion after accusations by the Senate’s commission of inquiry into the influence of private consulting firms on public policies, announced Wednesday the National Financial Prosecutor in a statement.
In this report submitted on March 16, the Senate inquiry commission, initiated by the small majority communist CRCE group, assured that the contracts concluded by the state with consulting firms like McKinsey had more than doubled between 2018 and 2021 , reaching a record amount of more than one billion euros in 2021.
In particular, it accused the French entities of the McKinsey firm of tax optimization, so that they would not have to pay any corporate tax between 2011 and 2020.
McKinsey had claimed to respect French tax rules, stating that one of its subsidiaries had paid corporation tax for six years over the period during which the Senate accused it of tax optimization.
The investigation of the PNF, opened after checks, was entrusted to the Service of judicial investigations of finances (SEJF), specifies Jean-Franois Bohnert in this press release which does not mention the name of McKinsey.
In the middle of the presidential campaign, the political opposition to the Head of State have since repeatedly demanded the opening of an investigation into what they consider to be favoritism which the Macronist majority would show for the benefit of this consulting firm, some of whose members were able to work for Macronie, especially during the 2017 presidential election.
If there is evidence of manipulation, that has to go to the criminal, retorted Sunday March 27 Emmanuel Macron those who reproach him for these numerous contracts.
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The president candidate considered in particular that the non-payment of corporate tax by McKinsey was explained by the tax rules in force.
On Sunday, the leader of the LREM deputies, Christophe Castaner, denounced a political operation.
We assume. The State has always had recourse to consulting firms since the beginning of the 2000s. Valrie Pcresse implemented the university reform law by relying on consulting firms. On the right as on the left, they lead local authorities who have recourse to them, said the same day the Minister of Public Accounts Olivier Dussopt on Radio J.
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