Complaint Against Charles Alloncle (UDR) for Illegal Interest Dismissed

The National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) has closed the case against Charles Alloncle, a lawmaker from the UDR party, who faced allegations of illegal interest and influence peddling. The complaint, filed by the association AC!! Anti-Corruption, centered on Alloncle's role as rapporteur for the parliamentary commission investigating public broadcasting.

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The legal qualification of 'illegal interest' is not applicable to a parliamentary inquiry commission.

According to the PNF's decision, the legal qualification of "illegal interest" cannot be applied to the proceedings of a parliamentary inquiry commission. Furthermore, the prosecutor's office determined that the evidence supporting the claim of influence peddling was not substantial enough to justify opening a criminal investigation. The PNF noted that the positions taken by those involved were not incompatible with the "simple expression of political positions."

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Furthermore, regarding the offense of influence peddling, the perception of an undue advantage by Charles Alloncle did not appear sufficiently substantiated to justify opening a criminal investigation.

The complaint, lodged in early May, alleged that Alloncle had influenced the commission's debates by posing questions suggested by Lagardère News management, thereby seeking to benefit both parties. Le Monde had previously reported that Lagardère News's institutional and regulatory affairs department had sent lists of questions to several deputies, including Alloncle, for use during hearings.

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The respective positions of the accused are not incompatible with the simple expression of political positions.

Alloncle had denied using any such suggested questions, asserting his "strictest independence" throughout the commission's work and stating he had never met with Lagardère News's president, Constance Benqué. However, the complaint argued that his conduct during the hearings, characterized by "systematic hostility towards public broadcasting," mirrored the suggestions provided by Lagardère News. The commission's report, published in May after months of contentious work, concluded that public broadcasting was in "crisis" and failing to meet public expectations, leading to accusations that Alloncle aimed to weaken or privatize it.

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His conduct during the six months of the commission contradicts this thesis. His posture during the hearings marked by systematic hostility towards public broadcasting... is identical to that suggested by the Bolloré group in its lists.