Prince’s Former Confidant Detained as Monaco Corruption Scandal Widens

A former school friend and adviser to Monaco’s Prince Albert II has been taken into police custody as a years-long corruption scandal surrounding the principality’s failed property projects widens.

Lawyer Thierry Lacoste was questioned over allegations raised by a property magnate, his law firm confirmed after media reports. The firm said the magnate was unhappy because certain real-estate projects had not been awarded to him and was trying to use Monaco’s justice system to his advantage. It also said people who had fought corruption for years and could not be silenced were now being accused of corruption or influence-peddling.

The investigation is linked to Esplanade des Pêcheurs, a planned development combining property, a museum and Formula One facilities. The project led to a lengthy legal dispute between the Monegasque state and its private developer, and even a scaled-back version has not been built.

The affair intensified after a dossier containing anonymous accusations against former princely confidants was published in 2021. Four former advisers, known as the G4, face accusations of embezzlement and attempting to bring the principality under their control. They, in turn, have accused a prominent property magnate of influencing decisions in Monaco, while also facing allegations that they were too close to the magnate’s competitors.

Former Monaco Supreme Court president Didier Linotte, another former princely confidant, was placed under judicial supervision last June over suspected corruption, money laundering and influence-peddling. The behind-the-scenes dispute also contributed to the incoming government chief’s decision to withdraw one week before taking office in summer 2025. Monaco has long faced criticism that it does too little to combat money laundering and other financial crime.