Former French Intelligence Chief Found Guilty of Corruption Linked to LVMH

A Paris court has convicted former intelligence head Bernard Squarcini for aiding LVMH, revealing the depths of corporate influence on public officials.

In a landmark ruling, a Paris court has found Bernard Squarcini, France's former intelligence chief, guilty of corruption and illegal activities that favored luxury giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Overseeing the French domestic intelligence agency from 2008 to 2012, Squarcini was later hired as a security consultant by LVMH. The court sentenced him to four years in prison—two of them under house arrest—and ordered him to pay a fine of €200,000 (approximately $217,000). An appeal from his lawyer is anticipated.

The trial unveiled a peculiar illegal surveillance scheme orchestrated by LVMH against journalist François Ruffin, who was creating a documentary critical of the company and its influential CEO, Bernard Arnault. Notably, the court called Arnault, one of France’s wealthiest individuals, to testify, during which he presented himself as a dedicated business leader responsible for transforming LVMH into a global luxury powerhouse comprising 75 brands and employing 200,000 individuals. However, he maintained ignorance of the surveillance activities.

Squarcini was tried alongside nine other individuals, including civil servants and police officers, with two defendants being acquitted. The case not only highlights the potential corruption within France's intelligence circles but also raises questions about corporate influence over public institutions.