Dominique de Villepin targeted by a PNF investigation in the case of the statuettes received at the Quai d'Orsay

Following the legal developments concerning Édouard Philippe, Dominique de Villepin has now also come under scrutiny from the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF). The PNF announced on Wednesday the opening of a preliminary investigation into two items received by Dominique de Villepin when he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, between 2002 and 2004. In a statement, the financial prosecutor, Pascal Prache, indicated that the investigation was opened on Tuesday. "charges of receiving stolen public funds and all related offenses"According to Pascal Prache, the investigations should shed light on the matter. "the conditions under which a statuette and a bust were allegedly given to Dominique de Villepin, when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2002 and 2004, and then kept by him."

Two objects at the heart of a political controversy

This procedure follows the revelations of the program Complément d'enquêteA program broadcast on France 2 featured lobbyist Robert Bourgi claiming to have acted as an intermediary in the delivery of two Napoleon statuettes to Dominique de Villepin. According to Bourgi, these objects were financed by Blaise Compaoré, then president of Burkina Faso, and by Italian businessman Gian Angelo Perrucci. Le Monde also reported that Bourgi mentioned two objects valued at €75,000 and €50,000 respectively. Dominique de Villepin, considered a potential candidate for the 2027 presidential election, admitted on May 10 on France Inter that he had made "a mistake" in accepting these gifts when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs. "It was a mistake. I shouldn't have accepted them."Dominique de Villepin had declared, while recalling that"There was no framework for these situations at the time."

The statuettes returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Before the announcement of the PNF investigation, Dominique de Villepin's entourage had indicated that the two objects had been handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The statuettes were returned to the Quai d'Orsay in early May, with de Villepin's entourage also contesting the publicly stated value of €125,000. Dominique de Villepin also stated to Complément d'enquête that he would not have accepted these objects if he had known their origin. "I would never have accepted these items if I had known where they came from.", did he declare.