The mayor of Europe Écologie-Les Verts (EELV) of Grenoble, Eric Piolle, appears on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 September before the criminal court of Valence (Drôme) on suspicion of favoritism in the award of a public contract.
It will have to explain. Suspected of having shown favoritism in awarding a public contract, the environmental mayor of Grenoble (Isère) will appear next Monday and Tuesday before the criminal court of Valence, to answer for the facts with which he is accused.
During the hearing, initially scheduled for March 2022, the court of Drôme will examine “the alleged facts of granting unjustified advantages” by the environmental councilor and former territorial agents of the city during the award of a public contract.
Justice suspects that the municipality has awarded, without competition, a public contract to an association for the organization of a popular festival that has been held every year since 2014 on one of the main arteries of the city.
For its part, the town hall considers that in this case it was a public contract with an adapted procedure (MAPA) for an artistic performance not subject to competition.
The Fusées association close to Éric Piolle
On 1 June 2021 Éric Piolle was taken into police custody and heard by the financial brigade of the Valence Criminal Police, where the file was transferred.
In May 2018, the Valence Public Prosecutor’s Office opened a preliminary investigation following a report from the Regional Chamber of Auditors (CRC), which concluded that “several significant irregularities” were found in its annual report.
This report indicated in particular that the municipality, against the advice of its public procurement department, had twice, in 2015 and 2016, awarded the organization of part of the “Tile Festival” to the Fusées association, close to the municipal majority. .
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The municipal opposition group led by former mayor Alain Carignon announced on September 15 that it would bring a civil action through its lawyer Maître Thierry Aldeguer.
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