EDF: former CEO, Henri Proglio, targeted by an investigation for corruption and misuse of corporate assets

The former CEO of EDF Henri Proglio, tried in May for disputed contracts when he chaired the electricity giant, is the target of a new investigation, this time relating to suspicions of corruption and abuse of corporate assets in particular , indicated a judicial source on Tuesday. As part of this preliminary investigation carried out by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF), the home and office of Henri Proglio were searched on September 14, 2023, said this source, confirming information from Libération.

The office of the former CEO of Véolia Environnement (2003-2009) and EDF (2009 to 2014), currently 74 years old, is housed in a building belonging to EDF in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, according to the daily. Two EDF employees placed at Henri Proglio's disposal, a driver and an assistant, were also the subject of searches, the judicial source confirmed. This investigation, entrusted to the Judicial Financial Investigation Service (SEJF), was opened at the end of 2022 based on a report from Tracfin, the financial intelligence unit attached to the Ministry of the Economy, according to the same source.

The offenses targeted are corruption, laundering of corruption, misuse of corporate assets and laundering of tax fraud. The investigation concerns the consulting activity that the former boss of the electricity supplier carries out with his consulting firm, Henri Proglio Consulting, founded in 2015. In addition to these consulting contracts, won in Russia or Congo-Brazzaville, investigators are also wondering about the origin of the 300,000 euros in cash found in a bank safe, according to Libération, confirmed by the judicial source. His lawyer, Me Jean-Pierre Mignard, told AFP that he could not comment on this investigation, as he did not have access to the file.

Henri Proglio, EDF and its former secretary general, Alain Tchernonog, will be judged from May 21 to June 6 for favoritism by the criminal court for contracts concluded between 2010 and 2016 with consultants without competitive bidding. Around ten consultants will be tried alongside them for concealment of favoritism.

Six other consultants have already been sentenced since the beginning of 2023 in this case during appearances on prior admission of guilt (CRPC), a sort of guilty plea. Member of the international council of Rosatom, a Russian public giant in the nuclear sector, Mr. Proglio announced that he did not want to resign in March 2022, a few days after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.