Alexis Kohler who is a top official in Emmanuel Macron’s office and current secretary general of the Élysée, has been indicted with a conflict of interest in the MSC case.
Alexis Kohler is indicted for “illegal taking of interests” with the Italian-Swiss shipping firm Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which is run by his mother’s cousins.
He is suspected of having taken advantage of his position to favour the shipowner MSC, with which he has family ties.
Two superiors of the current secretary general of the Élysée have been indicted for “complicity in the illegal taking of interests” in this investigation carried out by the national financial prosecutor’s office, according to AFP
Bruno Bézard and Jean-Dominique Comolli, successive bosses between 2007 and 2010 then between 2010 and 2012 of the State Participation Agency (APE) were indicted on February 9th.
By virtue of these functions, they were the superiors of Alexis Kohler when the latter took part in deliberations as an administrator of STX France (today Chantiers de l’Atlantique) and of the Grand Port Maritime du Havre (GPMH), both linked to the shipowner MSC, a group owned by members of his family.
Hidden family ties?
Alexis Kohler, close among those close to Emmanuel Macron and current secretary general of the Élysée, has been indicted for “illegal taking of interests” in this case.
The case originated in Mediapart articles published in 2018 revealing a potential conflict of interest between the functions occupied by the latter before his arrival at the Élysée and his links with the Italian-Swiss shipowner Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC ), founded and run by his mother’s cousins, the Aponte family.
Between 2010 and 2012, Alexis Kohler was Deputy Director of the State Participation Agency, which manages companies in which the State is a shareholder. During those years, reports Mediapart, he approved contracts signed between the port of Le Havre, of which he was a member of the supervisory board, and MSC.
Alexis Kohler also took part in meetings on the takeover of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, of which MSC is a major client, when he was chief of staff to Emmanuel Macron, then Minister of Economy and Finance.
Justice criticizes Alexis Kohler for not having alerted to his family ties with the cruise line in the various positions he has held. Despite this indictment, the latter remained in his position as number 2 at the Élysée.