An Orpea logo, during the group’s general meeting in Paris, July 28, 2022 (AFP / JULIEN DE ROSA)
Two years to the day after the publication of an investigative book denouncing numerous abuses at Orpea, the Nanterre prosecutor’s office indicated that it had carried out searches in mid-January as part of an investigation into suspicions of financial offenses targeting the group of private nursing homes.
These operations, carried out simultaneously in Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg, Switzerland and France, are part of one of the judicial investigations relating to the financial aspect targeting the group opened by the Nanterre public prosecutor’s office on June 29, this source told AFP on Friday.
Hearings were also conducted by the four investigating judges seized of the case at the Nanterre Judicial Court.
This investigation has been opened in particular for charges of aggravated breach of trust, aggravated misuse of company assets and aggravated money laundering.
Contacted by AFP, the Orpea group confirmed that searches had taken place “following the complaints that the group filed” after the outbreak of the scandal, “against X” initially, then “nominatively” against others. former former leaders.
“The group is fully cooperating with the justice system,” added an Orpea spokesperson, without giving further details on the locations where the searches took place.
These operations constitute new progress in the multiple lawsuits targeting the group which manages 350 establishments in France, in turmoil since the publication on January 26, 2022 of an investigative book, “Les Fossoyeurs”, written by journalist Victor Castanet.
He denounces mistreatment of residents, misuse of public funds and shortcomings in staff management.
As part of this financial investigation, three former managers of the group were indicted. A rare occurrence in this type of financial case, two of them were placed in pre-trial detention on the same day.
Placed under the control of the Caisse des Dépôts after the scandal arising from the practices of its former management, the Orpea group is also accused of institutional mistreatment after a report from the government and around fifty complaints received from April 2022.
This report followed a joint report from the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) and the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (Igas) which noted in particular an insufficiency in the “weights” of meals served to elderly people in establishments of the band.
Prosecutions were initiated and a judicial investigation against
– Earthquake –
Two other preliminary investigations are underway in connection with Orpea: one for violations of labor legislation and the other for embezzlement of public funds.
At the end of June 2022, a complaint was also filed by the CGT Federation of Health and Social Action against the group for non-compliance with labor law in the union field.
Strongly shaken by the scandal, Orpea came under the control of a group led by the Caisse des Dépôts, the financial arm of the State, in December 2023, which should help it regain balance.
After the earthquake caused by the facts denounced in “The Gravediggers”, the new management responsible for leading the Orpea transformation plan promised to make the teams its “first priority” in order to strengthen the quality of care for residents and ” restore confidence” in the group of private nursing homes, employer of 76,000 employees including 28,000 in France.
Orpea says in particular that it has re-established a social dialogue, previously non-existent, which a union delegate confirmed to AFP in mid-January.
This re-establishment of dialogue made it possible to reach a social agreement last summer providing for measures in favor of employees – salary increases, payment of a 13th month, restaurant vouchers, etc. -, a first in 15 years.