Amelie Oudea-Castera has ordered a new inspection of the French Ice Sports Federation which will deal with all aspects, from governance to financial and accounting issues.
The Ministry of Sports has commissioned a general inspection of the French Federation of Ice Sports (FFSG), we learned from him on Monday, a federation which has a new president since June suspected of being remote-controlled by the former president. Didier Gailhaguet.
The secretary general and the treasurer of the FFSG denounced Friday in a letter of which AFP had a copy “cronyism”, “between oneself” and “personal interest” four months after the election of Gwenaelle Noury against Nathalie Péchalat.
This inspection was decided at the beginning of October by the Minister of Sports in the continuity of an inspection carried out in 2020 and which had focused on the question of sexual violence after the revelations of champion Sarah Abitbol of having been raped by her coach. when she was a teenager, the sports ministry told AFP. Didier Gailhaguet had been forced to resign in the spring of 2020, accused of having covered up this coach. This new inspection – the federations are regularly inspected – will deal with all aspects, both governance and financial and accounting issues, the ministry further specified.
In their letter addressed to the Federal Council, Patrice Martin, current Secretary General and Loris Bertand, Treasurer, denounce between themselves “and” personal interest “four months after Gwenaelle Noury took office. They say they are “marginalized in governance”, denounce “unilateral decisions” such as “brutal end of mission, without any regard for the people concerned” or even “budgetary commitments decided and oriented towards previously targeted service providers”.
Contacted several times by AFP since Friday evening, Gwenaelle Noury did not respond. In general, it is not expressed publicly except on the day of its election. A meeting is to be held on Monday afternoon, we learned from concordant sources. “Didier Gailhaguet would like to fire Patrice Martin“, explained a source close to the file on Monday to AFP. This source also mentioned the “return of Sylvie Pulcini”, ex-right arm of Didier Gailhaguet.
After her election, Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra received the new president. The choice of the new national technical director (DTN), Djamel Cheikh, who has not yet taken office, had been the subject of all attention, several sources had reported to AFP given the suspicions of proximity between Noury and Gailhaguet. The latter reigned over the rinks almost continuously for more than two decades.