A preliminary investigation has been opened into potential embezzlement of public funds by elected environmentalists from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Lyon prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday December 13. In October, the regional council, led by the elected Republican Laurent Wauquiez, seized the prosecution after a report from the general management of services on the expenses of the environmental group, chaired by Fabienne Grebert.
The regional executive was surprised at the regular use of a training center of which the regional environmental adviser Olivier Longeon is an employee, for estimated services “up to more than 145,000 euros”. The region also wondered about the ” reality ” of a training followed by Mr.me Grebert, who, according to his information, was taking part in a ceremony in Haute-Savoie on the date mentioned.
According to Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV), Fabienne Grebert and Olivier Longeon have not been informed of the opening of this investigation and are at the disposal of justice.
EELV denounces a “counter-fire”
Following the report of the region, the environmental group had pointed out that “Training has always been validated by the services of the regional council, in accordance with the procedures in force”, specifying that the center concerned was approved by the Ministry of the Interior. At the time, the environmental group denounced a “amazing backfire” in the midst of a controversy over the organization on June 23 by the regional executive of a dinner judged “lavish”for which EELV had seized the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office.
Mediapart had just revealed that a “summit dinner”, organized at the end of June at the invitation of Laurent Wauquiez in a Beaujolais castle for ninety personalities, had cost just over 100,000 euros – a final addition of more 1,100 euros per guest, meal and rental included. A consultant had also participated in the organization of the dinner for an invoice of 48,000 euros including tax, according to Mediapart.
In an email response to the independent media, the region admitted to taking the bill “100% at his expense, without any private funding”but did not specify which budget had been charged to this expense, while the regional executive recently made significant budget cuts, particularly in the funding of culture.