The boss of Aéroports de Paris (ADP) Augustin de Romanet (d) and his lawyer Jean-Marc Fedida arrive at the Batignolles courthouse, in Paris, for his trial for suspicion of favoritism at the Caisse des Dépôts, March 21 2024 (AFP / Thomas SAMSON)
The trial of six men, including the boss of Aéroports de Paris (ADP) Augustin de Romanet and the former secretary general of the Elysée Jean-Pierre Jouyet, suspected of favoritism at the Caisse des Dépôts, was postponed Thursday to November 25, due to the state of health of one of the lawyers.
The referral, requested by the defense before the Paris criminal court, was decided “taking into account the serious medical condition” of the lawyer for two of the defendants, who was unable to appear in court on Thursday.
A medical assessment was also ordered concerning one of the defendants, hospitalized in a care unit for people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, who was also absent.
The hearing, initially scheduled for one week, will ultimately be held over four days, from November 25 to December 2, 2024.
Augustin de Romanet and Jean-Pierre Jouyet are summoned to appear for favoritism and embezzlement of public funds concerning contracts concluded with the companies of criminologist Alain Bauer while they were at the head of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC), 2007 to 2012 for the first, from 2012 to 2014 for the second.
The ADP boss “contests” any infringement, his lawyer Jean-Marc Fédida told AFP. During the investigation, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, who was notably secretary general of the Elysée under François Hollande (2014-2017), also proclaimed his innocence.
In 2014, an investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) was opened after the publication of an article by Mediapart. The investigations had uncovered six contracts concluded with the CDC or the International CDC and the companies AB Conseil or AB Associate, for 650,000 euros under the direction of Augustin de Romanet and 275,000 euros under that of Jean-Pierre Jouyet, according to a source judicial.
the former secretary general of the Elysée Jean-Pierre Jouyet arrives at the Batignolles courthouse, in Paris, for his trial for suspicion of favoritism at the Caisse des Dépôts, March 21, 2024 (AFP / Thomas SAMSON)
These “advice and assistance in security and crisis management preparation” contracts were not the subject of competitive bidding or advertising, we learned from the same source.
Also concerned for Augustin de Romanet are four orders between 2009 and 2012 from the Champerard company, of which Alain Bauer was director and 50% shareholder, for gastronomic guides for 333,596 euros, with a view to offering them as an annual gift to agents of the CDC and to elected officials.
Augustin de Romanet must, in addition, explain two contracts concluded by ADP with AB Conseil (89,700 euros paid in 2013) and X Diagnostic, a company represented by Xavier Raufer, also a criminologist (30,000 euros in 2015).
The former deputy director and director of international affairs at the CDC are also cited for favoritism and misappropriation of public funds.