Five new indictments in the corruption case within the social landlord of Martigues

Judicial information had been opened in October for "active and passive corruption, active and passive influence peddling, favoritism and concealment of this offense as well as illegal taking of interests and concealment of this offense" for acts which would have been committed at SEMIVIM since January 2019, facts revealed by the online media Blast.

It had led to the indictment on December 9 of five people, including the director of heritage of SEMIVIM, her companion who was also employed by the social landlord as well as entrepreneurs suspected of having paid them by various means in return the award of public contracts.

SEMIVIM is the social landlord of the city of Martigues, of which the communist mayor Gaby Charroux is also the president. The municipality is a civil party in this case.

The judicial information has been "extended since to the qualification of money laundering in an organized gang", underlined the Marseille prosecutor's office in a press release on Tuesday.

After a new series of searches and arrests carried out last week, nine people were taken into custody.

"At the end of these measures, the investigating judge decided to bring before him 6 people, including the general manager of SEMIVIM as well as an elected municipal official from the city of Martigues and district deputy", said added the prosecution, specifying that they were both "indicted on the grounds of favoritism and placed under judicial control".

“Another municipal elected official, also deputy mayor, placed in police custody, was not referred for medical reasons but was given a summons to appear before the investigating judge for the purpose of possible indictment” , continued the same source.

In a press release, SEMIVIM recalled on Tuesday evening that it had set up in December 2021 "a series of training courses concerning good practices in terms of public procurement with the personnel concerned in order to strengthen the knowledge of employees".