Investigation in Corsica for "extortion" after complaint from luxury real estate developer

On October 31, Mr. Marcellesi filed a complaint for "attempted extortion by an organized gang, death threats and violence", which led to the opening of an investigation into the crime by the Ajaccio public prosecutor's office, entrusted to the judicial police, the Ajaccio public prosecutor, Nicolas Septe, told AFP, confirming information from Le Monde.

Contacted by AFP, Mr Marcellesi's lawyer, Valérie Vincenti, did not wish to comment "so as not to interfere in the ongoing investigations".

Four men came to the developer's real estate agency in Porto-Vecchio (South Corsica) on October 30 and demanded, under threat, the payment of 500.000 euros, a source close to the case told AFP.

Jean-Noël Marcellesi, owner of the five-star Casadelmar hotel in Porto-Vecchio, is the father of Guillaume Marcellesi who was found by the police "seriously injured" in the bodywork of a friend in this town in the far south of the island, in January 2023.

This attack, filmed by video surveillance, led to the indictment of two men, Anthony Bornea and Pierre Battesti, for "attempted premeditated murder".

Anthony Bornea had also been placed under the status of assisted witness for "attempting to obtain by violence, threats of violence or coercion (...) the renunciation of the acquisition of a real estate complex", all "as part of an organized gang".

During this investigation, Guillaume Marcellesi, who was questioned, assured that Anthony Bornea had "already threatened his father during the summer of 2021", ordering him "to withdraw from a case", the acquisition of an "exceptional" residence composed of 26 apartments "with breathtaking views of the lagoon" for several million euros in Piantarella (South Corsica), "under penalty of reprisals".

Although the attack on his son was mentioned to Mr Marcellesi by the perpetrators of the extortion attempt, there is currently no established link between the two cases, a source close to the case told AFP.

The investigation into the assault on Marcellesi's son was marked by the recusal, in January 2024, of the investigating judge in charge of the investigation, Éric Métivier, for "lack of impartiality", a particularly rare decision.