The government has not renewed Anticor’s approval. “I am outraged by this decision which is a blow to the fight against corruption,” reacted the association’s lawyer on Wednesday.
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“We are faced with a completely political decision”, expressed indignation on Wednesday December 27 on franceinfo, Me Vincent Brengarth, lawyer for the Anticor association. The approval allowing it to intervene in cases of fight against corruption and breach of probity has not been renewed, the precedent having been withdrawn by the administrative justice system.
The Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, stepped aside on Saturday December 23 from any action concerning Anticor, in favor of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna. The Quai d’Orsay had until Tuesday December 26 to renew or not the approval requested by the association. However, nothing appears in the Official Journal on Wednesday December 27. The lack of response from the government therefore constitutes an implicit refusal. “I am outraged by this decision which is a blow to the fight against corruption”reacts Me Brengarth on franceinfo.
According to him, this “implicit rejection confirms that the government is unable to provide the precise reasons why it does not intend to renew Anticor’s approval”. The lawyer also denounces “profound contempt” of the executive because this request for approval has “was introduced several months ago now and it was necessary to wait for a holiday period, the Christmas period, to finally know this decision, without it even being officially notified to the Anticor association”.
“This decision does not surprise us”reacted for her part, Élise Van Beneden, the president of Anticor. “We were preparing for the possibility of the approval request being rejected”, confirms Me Vincent Brengarth. The association will take administrative action to “contest forcefully” this decision, “totally unfounded and arbitrary”according to him.
Anticor is involved in more than 160 procedures
However, “we do not know the official reasons why the government did not intend to renew the application for approval of the Anticor association”, continues the lawyer. A “difficulty” which he will be able to circumvent since “the law offers the possibility” to ask for them, “within the month following the decision”adds Me Brengarth.
Even without approval, Anticor will still be able to “report facts which constitute breaches of integrity to the public prosecutor”. Nevertheless, “a doubt” remains, continues Vincent Brengarth. He wonders about the following point: will the association be able, “particularly in cases where the prosecution does not intend to initiate proceedings, to request the appointment of an investigating judge itself?” And so, “being herself at the origin of the initiation of the proceedings”. Created in 2002, the Anticor association is currently involved in more than 160 procedures.