Rugby World Cup 2023: Claude Atcher requests an investigation into the conditions of his dismissal

The former general director of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Claude Atcher, told AFP this Thursday that he had filed a complaint again, requesting the referral to an investigating judge to investigate the conditions of his dismissal. “I need to know what happened,” he told AFP. “If I am guilty of things, I agree to pay the price, but I want investigations.”

In Paris, investigations against him are already underway, but he is now asking that an investigating judge take an interest in those he accuses of having brought him down.

In June 2022, the sports daily L'Équipe revealed in an article anonymous testimonies within the Public Interest Group (GIP) France 2023, under the influence of “management by terror” attributed to Claude Atcher and its leader. office. The Ministry of Sports refers the matter to the labor inspectorate.

Furthermore, the General Inspectorate of Finance and the General Inspectorate of Education issue a report on the contracts awarded, the ticketing and the vehicles available to Mr. Atcher.

The National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) opens an investigation for favoritism, influence peddling and corruption, the Paris prosecutor's office for moral harassment. Mr. Atcher is officially removed from office in October 2022.

In their articles, the Équipe's journalists relied on several reports, notably inspections and the GIP ethics committee, of which AFP was aware.

Four reports made it possible to “collect 72 testimonies, 158 responses to questionnaires,” said a source close to the matter.

The labor inspectorate cited extracts from anonymized testimonies, “undeniably revealing degraded working conditions” and criticizing the former general director for his management style.

A report from the ethics committee mentioned six examples from 19 hearings including: “I was called a whore and badly fucked” or “Leaving at 7:00 p.m. I was told: have you finished your half day? ". From the beginning, Mr. Atcher has vigorously denied it.

“I have never insulted anyone,” he defended himself to AFP. “I have a direct style. I made a mistake in thinking that I was going, with this GIP, to give a certain number of young people a leg up, but the work does not excite this young generation.”

To respond, the former strongman of French rugby has already filed two complaints against X in October 2023 with the Paris prosecutor's office - one in particular for breach of trust, the other for witness tampering - which were finally closed.

The prosecution closed the complaint for breach of trust, considering that too "large a number of people" had been able to have access to the reports, making it "difficult (...) to direct the investigations", according to its opinion, of which the AFP became aware.

A classification without having “carried out the slightest act of investigation”, criticized its lawyers, Mes Emmanuel Moyne and Geoffroy Goubin.

In his new complaint filed on Wednesday, Mr. Atcher asks the courts to examine the possible role of members of the GIP and the ethics committee, but also of people from the Ministry of Sports, in the leaks to journalists, explained a second source close to the file.

He especially denounces the transmission by the Ministry of Sports of the report of the ethics committee to the main creditor of the GIP, World Rugby.

His complaint, filed with the constitution of a civil party against

Asked by AFP, the Ministry of Sports did not immediately respond.

“It’s sewn with white thread. As luck would have it, he filed a new complaint at the time of the release of his book scheduled for Friday, for its part attacked the GIP.

In this book, “In the Shadow of the Cup” (En Exergue Éditions), Mr. Atcher settles his scores and describes in particular the “emptiness” of “extreme violence” after his dismissal.

Since then, several collaborators have defended him.

One affirmed, in a statement of which AFP was aware, that he had never heard him insult a colleague. Another having been “dismissed” by management when she expressed her “incomprehension” about his departure.

Two other emails, dated August 2023, denounce “lobbying” against Mr. Atcher, suspecting management of having solicited testimony against him.