These investigations follow the judicial investigation opened in March by the PNF for suspicion of favouritism.
Paris City Hall was raided on Wednesday morning as part of investigations into suspicions of favoritism in the case of the highly controversial Triangle Tower under construction in the capital’s 15th arrondissement. The search, revealed by The Parisian was over early Wednesday afternoon, said the entourage of Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) has confirmed “that a search (had) occurred (Wednesday) morning in the premises of the Paris City Hall». Led by two investigating magistrates, according to the mayor’s entourage, the search follows the judicial investigation opened in March by the PNF for suspicions of favoritism in the contract for the operation of the Parc des expositions in the south of Paris, where construction of the tower began in February. The judges were accompanied by gendarmes from the Paris research section, according to a close source.
Read alsoParis climbs with the Triangle tower
SEE ALSO – Tariq Ramadan case: the Paris prosecutor’s office requires a trial at the assizes
«It is the logical and coherent continuation of the judicial information“, commented the entourage of Anne Hidalgo who says to himself”available to justice“and for whom the search is happening”very calmly, without panic“. Technicians have planned to search computers to seize documents from the management of town planning, that of judicial affairs, financial affairs, general services and the office of the mayor, said the same source.
Investigators entered Anne Hidalgo’s office, where they “stayed a quarter of an hour“, always according to the same source. The mayor, traveling to Avignon for the festival, was absent but will return Wednesday evening for the transfer of powers to the police headquarters between Didier Lallement and Laurent Nuñez.
A file that dates back to the early 2010s
Nobody at the town hall is “implicated, even less indicted“, underlines the office of the mayor, in this file which dates back to the beginning of the 2010s, when Bertrand Delanoë was mayor, Anne Hidalgo first assistant for urban planning and Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne director for urban planning.
The lawyer of the Town hall of Paris, Me Alexis Gublin wished not to make “no comment on an ongoing procedure”but recalled that “as always the City intends to cooperate fully with justice”.
The PNF had opened a preliminary investigation for “favoritism» et «concealment of favoritismin June 2021, then a judicial investigation in March. The City of Paris had terminated the concession contract awarded to the company Viparis, then had again entrusted it with the operation of the event complex via a emphyteutic lease following a call for tenders deemed questionable.
Read alsoAnne Hidalgo puts the disputed project of the Parisian “periphery” back on the table
The deadlines for submitting tenders were considered to be too short, given the complexity of the project. In addition, the City had accepted that Viparis does not pay the entry fee of 263 million euros requested from candidates. In exchange, this subsidiary of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield had to waive the compensation for early termination of the initial contract.
The mayor LR of the 7th arrondissement of Paris, Rachida Dati, had made a report to justice in July 2020 on the construction project of the tower, which must stretch over 42 floors and 180 m high, in the perimeter of the Park exhibitions. Then the Anticor association filed a complaint with civil action in February 2021.
Rachida Dati and Anticor relied on a report from the Ile-de-France regional chamber of accounts of July 2020, which considered in particular that the Tour Triangle project had been “inserted in a questionable manner within the enclosure of the Parc des expositions”. The City of Paris, Unibail-Rodamco Westfield and Viparis reject the charges, claiming to have respected the rules of the call for tenders.
SEE ALSO – Estates General of Justice: “When will we decide to make a statutory reform of the prosecution?”, exasperated Georges Fenech