Global (Commonwealth Union) _ France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati and former Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn are both set to face trial in a long-running investigation involving corruption and influence-peddling allegations. The confirmation was issued by a Ministry of Justice official, and places the two prominent figures, one in politics, the other in global business, at the centre of a case that spans corporate interests, public office, and international legal boundaries.
Dati, who is a former justice minister under Nicolas Sarkozy, has been charged with “passive corruption and influence peddling by a person holding elective public office within an international organization,” linked to her time as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2009 to 2019. A Netherlands-based Renault subsidiary reportedly paid Dati €900,000 in fees between 2010 and 2012, purportedly for legal consultancy. However, according to claims made by prosecutors, she had performed minimal actual work and used her influence to lobby for the carmaker, an activity which has been strictly prohibited within EU institutions.
The charges come at a politically sensitive moment for Dati, with her being widely discussed as a potential candidate for Paris mayor in next year’s municipal elections. She may also contest a seat in the National Assembly. Dati has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and railled attempts tear have the charges dismissed.
The case also revives international interest in Carlos Ghosn, who faces charges of “abuse of power by a company executive,” “breach of trust,” and “active corruption and influence peddling.” Ghosn, who holds both French and Lebanese citizenship, became a global headline in 2019 when he fled Japan, where he had been put on house arrest on financial misconduct charges. He has since resided in Lebanon, which does not extradite its citizens.
French judicial authorities issued a warrant for Ghosn’s arrest in 2023, and he is now expected to be tried alongside Dati. He has denied all allegations.
The date of the trial is expected to be confirmed at a hearing scheduled for September 29, with a source close to the matter suggesting that the trial could be held after the Paris municipal elections in March.
A judicial source stated that “The legal process must follow its course, and added that the charges remain under the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.
