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PARIS: France\u2019s ex-culture minister Rachida Dati appeared in court Wednesday on corruption charges linked to dealings with the Renault-Nissan group, just months after her bruising defeat in the Paris mayoral race.<\/p>\n
One of the most prominent figures on the French right, Dati, 60, stood in court dressed in black to hear the charges against her, all of which she denies.<\/p>\n
Carlos Ghosn, the fugitive former Renault-Nissan chief now living in Lebanon, is being tried in absentia.<\/p>\n
Dati has been dogged by controversies for much of her political career.<\/p>\n
She resigned as culture minister in February to concentrate on the Paris mayoral race, but lost to Socialist rival Emmanuel Gregoire in March.<\/p>\n
She stands charged with corruption and influence-peddling over alleged lobbying for Renault-Nissan between October 2009 and February 2013 while she was a member of the European Parliament.<\/p>\n
She became an MEP after serving as justice minister between 2007 and 2009 under President Nicolas Sarkozy.<\/p>\n
She has been accused of accepting 900,000 euros (around $1 million) in lawyers\u2019 fees from a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan.<\/p>\n
Dati, who is still the mayor of the French capital\u2019s wealthy seventh district, denies all the charges.<\/p>\n
She faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 450,000 euros, if convicted. She could also face a five-year ban on holding public office.<\/p>\n
Her legal team said Dati worked \u201cexclusively\u201d as a lawyer for the Netherlands-based subsidiary.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfounded allegations of influence-peddling in the European Parliament stem from an artificial intellectual construct devised by the prosecution,\u201d her lawyers said.<\/p>\n
– \u2018Explain facts\u2019 –<\/p>\n
French prosecutors argue that a legal services contract signed in 2009 between Dati and Ghosn, under which the former minister was paid an annual fee of 300,000 euros, was used to disguise lobbying work.<\/p>\n
Investigators obtained the contract in 2019 during a search of Renault\u2019s headquarters following Ghosn\u2019s arrest in Japan, in a separate case.<\/p>\n
Ghosn, the 72-year-old former chairman and chief executive of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, was arrested in Japan in 2018 on suspicion of financial misconduct, before being sacked by Nissan\u2019s board.<\/p>\n
He made a dramatic escape from Japan hidden in an audio-equipment box, landing in Beirut, where he remains at large.<\/p>\n
Ghosn faces a litany of charges, including abuse of power and bribery. He has denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
In a letter sent to the court in August and seen by AFP, Ghosn requested that the proceedings be postponed.<\/p>\n
Denying any attempt to \u201cdelay the trial\u201d, Ghosn said he was prepared to appear by video link to \u201cexplain facts\u201d that he disputes.<\/p>\n
Dati has repeatedly sought to have the charges against her quashed.<\/p>\n
She has also been accused of accepting nearly 300,000 euros in undeclared payments from energy group GDF Suez, also while an MEP.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said last year they were looking into reports that Dati failed to declare jewelry and watches worth 420,000 euros upon taking ministerial office.<\/p>\n
She has denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n