This withdrawal comes as the group of Bordeaux businessman Michel Ohayon is going through a difficult period. The owner of Go Sport, HPB, one of the companies in the Ohayon galaxy, announced that it had given up presenting a continuation plan on Monday April 17, on the eve of a hearing at the Grenoble Commercial Court on the future of the sporting goods distributor.
“It is with regret that we announced to the commercial court that we are abandoning our draft continuation plan”announced in a press release addressed to Agence France-Presse, the director of communication, Franck Geretzhuber.
According to HPB, it is the procedure adopted by the insolvency administrators that “had the consequence of preventing the conclusion of the discussions we had with a partner from the world of sport, strongly interested in our continuation project”.
In the absence of a continuation plan, the court will study on Tuesday the twenty offers to resume the activities of the sporting goods distributor bought in 2021 by the Hermione People & Brands holding company for a symbolic euro and in receivership since January .
A difficult pass
It was on the day the takeover bids closed, March 10, that HPB announced its intention to remain in control of the brand. At the same time, the holding company had tried to challenge the receivership decision issued on January 19 by the commercial court, claiming that it was not in a state of insolvency.
But his appeal was rejected last week by the Grenoble Court of Appeal. “Groupe Go Sport is indeed in a state of insolvency on the date the Court of Appeal rules”affirms the judgment which reports a shortfall in available assets of approximately 30 million euros as of March 23.
After the liquidation of the Camaïeu brand (2,600 employees) in September, the holding company at the head of Mr. Ohayon’s group, Financière immobilière bordelaise (FIB), declared itself insolvent, the Gap brand (350 employees) recently acquired by Go Sports was placed in receivership and 25 Galeries Lafayette stores were placed in safeguard proceedings.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a judicial investigation for “organized gang fraud, habitual money laundering, bankruptcy and abuse of corporate assets”following on from an investigation opened in Grenoble following “several revelations of criminal facts” reported by HPB’s auditors.
Among the twenty buyers who are candidates for the takeover of the activities of Go Sports, two offers are emerging: that of the Intersport France group, backed by a consortium, and that of the British Frasers, via its company Sports Direct.