At the Apollonia trial, how busy doctors were defrauded

"We were all swindled, the only religion of Badache's salespeople (Editor's note: the founder of Apollonia) was the sacrosanct system of money and 15% commission," a dentist accused, in the packed room of the extraordinary trials at the Marseille Criminal Court, where more than 750 former clients of this wealth management firm from Aix-en-Provence have joined the civil proceedings.

"I hope you will realize the impact on our lives, on our health," because "in four years, Apollonia has ruined our lives," continues his wife, a shopkeeper.

For the past month and a half, 15 people, including the Badache couple, their salespeople, former Apollonia employees, three notaries and a lawyer, have been on trial for contributing to the victims' over-indebtedness.

They were encouraged to acquire real estate - up to forty for some - purchases that were supposed to be self-financing via the status of professional furnished rental (LMP).

In court, a hospital doctor from Doubs recounted how an Apollonia salesman, who had already recruited other practitioners to his hospital, approached him in 2006. With a promise: "all this will cost nothing," the loans were supposed to be covered by VAT repayments and rents, while protecting the family's assets.

"No time"

Accustomed to working "in a profession of trust", the practitioner is reassured by the presence of a notary and bankers in the preparation of the file.

At that time, he had a tumor, and his goal with his partner, also a doctor, was to build up assets to protect their three children. In total, they acquired 11 properties, financed by nine different banks, for €2,8 million. The result: a debt of €4,3 million.

"I believed in it completely," but quickly, "we started to see things were shaky, we started to understand that it wasn't going to be self-financing," says this man, now 62 years old. In reality, VAT repayments and rents don't cover the repayments on the properties, whose value has been overvalued. They therefore decided to stop paying their loans before "hitting the wall."

Today, with their wages seized, he and his partner find themselves with a monthly income of 2.700 euros, far from the 11.000 euros that this couple of doctors at the end of their careers should be receiving.

But for the defense lawyers, these doctors lacked curiosity, with a clear "disinterest" in the figures.

"You are committing to considerable sums but you say: 'we don't know how much we are committing to!'", Bruno Rebstock, lawyer for one of the salespeople, complains angrily to a dentist.

To another, he says: "Fraud is one thing, but the investor's disinterest in the commitments made and the repayments to be made is another."

"Which category of civil party do you fall into? Those who signed without knowing the amounts, or those who made the payment but then realized it wouldn't be self-financing?" thunders Jean Boudot, the lawyer for one of the three notaries.

"I was an isolated practitioner who didn't have time to look in detail," defends another dentist, originally from the Paris region, who acquired 18 properties through Apollonia.

Confusing statements about the presence or absence of notaries at the time of signing powers of attorney for sales deeds also provoked some heated exchanges.

"Our clients are not liars, today they are victims," ​​fumed Cécile Pion, who represents 195 families with Christophe Jervolino, saying she had "a hard time tolerating the aggression" of some lawyers towards her clients.

The trial, which opened on March 31, is scheduled to last until June 6.