Rachida Dati and Carlos Ghosn case: towards a corruption trial?

The French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (Parquet national financier – PNF) has requested that Rachida Dati, current Minister of Culture, and Carlos Ghosn, former head of Renault-Nissan, stand trial before the French Criminal Court on charges of corruption and influence peddling. The announcement, made on Friday November 15, 2024, places the two public figures at the heart of a complex legal affair.

Suspicions surrounding Rachida Dati

Between 2010 and 2012, Rachida Dati allegedly received the sum of 900,000 euros from RNBV, a subsidiary of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, without any real work in return being established. At the time, she was practicing as a lawyer and sitting as a member of the European Parliament. The investigators are seeking to determine whether these remunerations could have concealed lobbying activities, a practice formally prohibited for elected members of the European Parliament.

A challenging defense to the accusations

Rachida Dati’s lawyers denounced the indictment as “fragmentary and inaccurate”. They stressed that this was merely the public prosecutor’s reading of the case and announced a detailed response to refute the accusations. For her part, Rachida Dati, also mayor of Paris’s 7ᵉ arrondissement, denounced an “infamous and shocking indictment”, which she attributed to a political maneuver by her opponents. However, she says she is determined to face these accusations with equanimity.

Carlos Ghosn in turmoil

The former Renault-Nissan CEO, currently a refugee in Lebanon, has been the subject of an international arrest warrant since April 2023. He is being prosecuted on serious charges including “abuse of power by a company director”, “breach of trust” and “corruption”. Renault has joined the civil action, increasing the pressure on the former car magnate.

A decision still awaited

Whether or not a trial will take place now depends on the investigating judges, who must decide what action to take. Before that, an appeal must be examined by the investigating chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal, which could further delay the judicial outcome.

Against this tense backdrop, the case is arousing considerable public interest, and promises to be a potentially resounding trial involving politics, justice and major industrial business.

National Financial Prosecutor’s Office calls for Rachida Dati and Carlos Ghosn to be tried for corruption