Prosecutors have asked for a two-year sentence with electronic monitoring and a five-year ban from public office for former culture minister Rachida Dati in a corruption trial linked to Renault‑Nissan. They also sought a four-year term for fugitive ex‑chief Carlos Ghosn, who is being tried in absentia in Paris. Prosecutors allege Dati lobbied for Renault‑Nissan between 2009 and 2013 and received about €900,000 in legal fees. A court decision is expected in several months.
Ex-Minister Rachida Dati Faces Proposed Two-Year Term and Five-Year Office Ban in Renault‑Nissan Graft Case
Ex-minister Dati and fugitive businessman Ghosn are charged with corruption linked to the Renault-Nissan group (JULIEN DE ROSA)
French prosecutors on Monday asked the court to hand former culture minister Rachida Dati a two-year sentence with electronic monitoring and a five-year ban from holding public office, in a corruption trial tied to the Renault‑Nissan group.
They also requested a four-year prison term for Carlos Ghosn, the fugitive former Renault‑Nissan chief who is being tried in absentia in Paris and is currently based in Lebanon.
A judicial decision is expected in several months.
Dati, 60, who is one of the most prominent figures on the French right, resigned as culture minister in February to focus on her campaign for Paris mayor in March, where she suffered a heavy defeat. Despite that loss, she remains the mayor of Paris's affluent 7th arrondissement.
Prosecutors allege that Dati lobbied on behalf of Renault‑Nissan between October 2009 and February 2013 while she served as a member of the European Parliament. She became an MEP after serving as France's justice minister from 2007 to 2009 under President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Authorities say she accepted approximately €900,000 (about $1.0 million) in legal fees from a Netherlands‑based Renault‑Nissan subsidiary. The trial in Paris has examined those payments and alleged influence‑peddling, but a final verdict has not yet been delivered.
Context: Carlos Ghosn, tried in absentia in the same proceedings, remains a central figure in multiple legal battles since leaving Japan and relocating to Lebanon.
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