“If there is evidence of manipulation, let it go to the criminal court”, Emmanuel Macron had launched on Sunday March 27 to those who reproach him for the numerous contracts with consulting firms. This statement by the President of the Republic could well come to fruition. The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) announced on Wednesday April 6 that it had opened a preliminary investigation since March 31 for aggravated money laundering of tax evasion after the publication of the senatorial report relating to the use of private consulting firms by the State, relates France Info.
Senate accuses McKinsey of tax evasion
In this report, the Senate commission of inquiry accused the McKinsey firm of tax optimization, such that it would have paid no corporate tax between 2011 and 2020. This revelation is all the more damning for the American giant that Karim Tadjeddine, associate director within the cabinet, had assured the senators of the contrary during his hearing on January 18: “ I say it very clearly: we pay corporate tax in France he testified…under oath.
See also: Consulting firms: the damning report of the Senate inquiry committee
The PNF investigation, started after ” checks “, was entrusted to the service of judicial investigations of finances (SEJF), specifies Jean-François Bohnert, public prosecutor financial, in this press release which does not mention the name of McKinsey.
The political opposition to the Head of State repeatedly demanded the opening of an investigation into what they consider to be favoritism which the Macronist majority would show for the benefit of this consulting firm, some of whose members were able to work for Macronie, especially during the 2017 presidential election. publication of the senatorial report:
It is now 18 days since the senate released its report on the #McKingseyGate and the national financial prosecutor’s office has still not deigned to react.
— Pierre Gentillet (@Pierre_GTIL) April 5, 2022
On these conflicts of interest between consulting firms and the government, a few days earlier, the executive had quickly taxed the opposition with the famous label of ” conspiracy “, indicated Liberation.
A lack of investigation denounced by the magistrates
In a column published Tuesday, April 5 on the website of the weekly Marianne, anonymous magistrates protested the absence of any investigation:
“The scope and dimension of the information revealed by the report of the Senate commission of inquiry on consulting firms published on March 17 has the merit of enlightening citizens on the state of disrepair of our institutions, which are seriously threatened. for several years by abuses likely to fall within the criminal field, and at the very least, dare we say it, to show a State possibly hit by corruption. »
Satisfaction of opposition… sometimes tinged with suspicion
On social networks, the reactions were immediately fused. The presidential candidate Eric Zemmour welcomed this news, saluting the parliamentarians of Reconquest for their report made to the PNF. For Jordan Bardelladeputy RN, this case “ asks a vital question: who rules France? “. For his part, the deputy LFI Alexis Corbière, he dropped a pike at the place of Emmanuel Macron: “ Will Macronie always talk about “untruths” and “legal” tax optimization practices? “, he quipped.
#McKinseyGate : the #PNF (National Financial Prosecutor’s Office) is opening an investigation for aggravated money laundering of tax evasion. At last ! Will Macronie always talk about “untruths” and “legal” tax optimization practices?
— Alexis Corbiere (@alexiscorbiere) April 6, 2022
If he rejoiced at the news, Nicolas Dupont-Aignancandidate for the presidency of the Republic, expressed surprise that an investigation into the ” possible conflicts of interest between Emmanuel Macron and consulting firms or on his heritage. Same story with Charles-Henri Gallois, president of Génération Frexit, for whom the PNF investigation is only a smokescreen, the body not being interested in the so-called “Rotchschild Gate” affair. , unveiled by the newspaper L’Humanité on March 29.
It’s a smokescreen since the PNF is only aiming #McKinsey for tax evasion.
Nothing on conflicts of interest with Macron!
It is also time to seize the scandals #RothschildGate and #AlphaGate !#McKinseyMacronGate #McKinseyGate https://t.co/LX1ErA8ssd
– Charles-Henri Gallois (@CH_Gallois) April 6, 2022