Théâtre des Amandiers: Former mayor of Nanterre charged with violating the freedom of a public market

Mr. Jarry (various left), mayor of the city from 2004 to 2023, was placed under judicial supervision, the public prosecutor said.

His indictment follows the filing, in November 2020, of a complaint with civil action by the architectural firm Blond & Roux and two other companies, which maintain that the 2018 award of the rehabilitation project for the Centre Dramatique National Nanterre-Amandiers was carried out irregularly.

In this document, consulted by AFP, the plaintiffs consider that the conditions under which the contract was awarded to the Snøhetta agency, to the detriment of Blond & Roux, are "contrary to the legislative and regulatory provisions guaranteeing freedom and equality of access for candidates."

They claim, among other things, that the budget for the project led by Snøhetta is significantly higher than the provisional financial envelope of 28 million euros set by the city and that the architectural quality rating of the Blond & Roux project was downgraded in an "inexplicable" manner between the two phases of the so-called competitive dialogue procedure.

"I am quite stunned by this indictment," Mr. Jarry said in a statement sent to AFP.

"I do not understand the reasons for this and I consider that I have nothing to reproach myself for," he added.

"I had no particular or personal interest in proposing the choice of this architect over another and I constantly followed the procedure proposed to me," defends the former mayor, who was questioned on March 5 by the financial brigade.

The current mayor of Nanterre, Raphaël Adam (various left), has given his support to his predecessor.

"Patrick Jarry is an elected official whose integrity and integrity are recognized by all," he said in a statement. "He has been called upon to make decisions of this type during his nineteen years at the helm of the City of Nanterre. None of them have led to legal action," Mr. Adam continued.

The town hall also assures that the choice of the project sponsors (city, department, region and Ministry of Culture) was unanimous in favour of Snøhetta.

"False," Emmanuel Daoud, Blond & Roux's lawyer, told AFP.

"During the decision-making committee meeting of October 5, 2018, the State expressed its preference for the project led by my clients and the city of Nanterre, as did the department and the region," he added.

"It was the following day, for reasons that will be up to the criminal justice system to explain, that the rating of the Blond & Roux project was irregularly downgraded," he assured.

Also the subject of proceedings before the administrative court, the city of Nanterre was ordered on December 18 by the Versailles administrative court of appeal to pay more than 270.000 euros to the Blond & Roux firm.

In its ruling, the court considered that "the contract in question is tainted by defects that affect its validity", these irregularities having deprived Blond & Roux "of a serious chance of winning the contract".

The court, however, rejected the request to cancel the construction site.