The Paris criminal court on Wednesday opened the trial of Rachida Dati, the former French justice and culture minister, over payments she received from a Renault-Nissan subsidiary. Dati faces charges of passive corruption, passive influence-peddling, and concealment of abuse of power and breach of trust.
At the centre of the case is the €900,000 she received between 2009 and 2013 from RNBV, a Dutch-registered entity within the Renault-Nissan alliance. During that period, Dati was a Member of the European Parliament, a role that prohibited lobbying activities.
The opening hearing was marked by the absence of Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of Renault-Nissan, who fled to Lebanon in 2019 while awaiting trial in Japan on separate financial misconduct charges. Ghosn is also prosecuted in this case, accused of active corruption and influence-peddling. He has requested a postponement, arguing that he was not properly served with the charges, and has offered to appear via videoconference.
Fees under scrutiny
Dati maintains that the money was legitimate payment for legal work she carried out as a lawyer for the group. Her lawyers have dismissed the prosecution's case as an “intellectual construct” and insist their client performed “exclusively” legal services.
The prosecution, however, argues that the fee agreement signed in 2009 was a cover for lobbying activities. Investigating magistrates noted the scarcity of documents that would substantiate the legal work, and they consider the remuneration “totally disproportionate” to any services that can be evidenced.
Investigators have focused on several interventions by Dati in the European Parliament, including three written questions submitted in 2012 and 2013 on automotive matters. They suspect her parliamentary activity may have been influenced by her professional relationship with Renault.
Dati faces up to ten years in prison, a €450,000 fine, and a possible ban from holding public office. She remains presumed innocent until the court reaches its verdict.
The trial is scheduled over six half-day sessions until 28 September. The court will examine the nature of the relationship between Dati and Ghosn, and whether the €900,000 corresponded to genuine legal services or concealed lobbying, which was prohibited for MEPs at the time.
Ghosn's absence adds a notable dimension to the proceedings. He remains in Lebanon, where he has consistently denied any wrongdoing. His legal team has argued that he cannot receive a fair trial in France, a claim that has been rejected by French authorities.
This case is part of a broader scrutiny of corporate influence in European institutions. For more on how legal and political accountability is being tested across the continent, see Spain's top court ruling on Puigdemont and Georgia's call for EU enlargement.
The outcome of Dati's trial will be closely watched, not only for its implications for her political career but also for the message it sends about the enforcement of ethical rules for elected officials in the European Union.
