Former justice minister Rachida Dati goes on trial in Paris over corruption

Former French Culture Minister Rachida Dati will stand trial on Wednesday, accused of corruption linked to her dealings with the Renault-Nissan group. Dati, 60, is set to face fugitive former Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, who will be tried in her absence. The allegations against Dati stem from her lobbying activities for the Dutch-based Renault-Nissan subsidiary between 2009 and 2013 during her time as an MEP, following her tenure as Justice Minister from 2007 to 2009.

She is accused of accepting 900,000 euros in lawyer's fees from the subsidiary, which she denies. If found guilty, Dati faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 450,000 euros, along with a potential ban from public office. Her legal team argues that the charges are unfounded and that Dati worked exclusively as a lawyer for the subsidiary. French prosecutors maintain that a 2009 legal services contract between Dati and Ghosn was used to conceal lobbying work.

Ghosn, the 72-year-old former chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, is currently a fugitive, arrested in Japan in 2018 on suspicion of financial misconduct. He faces charges including abuse of power and bribery. Dati has sought to have the charges against her dismissed and has also been accused of accepting undeclared payments from energy group GDF Suez while an MEP.