French culture minister Rachida Dati, ex-auto CEO Carlos Ghosn to stand trial for graft
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati (left) and former automobile executive Carlos Ghosn are to stand trial for alleged corruption and abuse of power in a case focusing on consulting fees.
PARIS - French judges on July 22 ordered that French Culture Minister Rachida Dati and former automobile executive Carlos Ghosn must stand trial for alleged corruption and abuse of power in a case focusing on consulting fees, a judicial source said.
The French prosecutor's office for financial crimes (PNF) had requested in November 2024 that Dati, widely expected to run for the post of Paris mayor in March 2026, and
former Renault-Nissan boss Ghosn be tried as part of its investigation into corruption.
Investigators had been
probing the consulting fees Dati once received from the Renault-Nissan auto alliance, which hired her as a consultant after she stepped down as justice minister in 2009 to stand for the European Parliament.
Dati has denied irregularities in the fees she received during that time, and Ghosn, who fled from Japan in a box aboard a private jet to Lebanon, has denied allegations of misconduct against him.
Representatives for Dati had no immediate comment, while Ghosn's representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.
Ghosn, who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenships, has not left Lebanon since 2019 because of an Interpol Red Notice issued by Japan. REUTERS

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
19 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions
Find out what's new on ST website and app. This new lawsuit follows an earlier court battle reported by ST in September 2024. SINGAPORE – The legal battle over control of home-grown hospitality group Tipsy Collective has taken another turn. The company – now led by its majority shareholders, who gained control after a boardroom shake-up in 2024 – has filed a lawsuit against its former leadership, seeking to recover more than $14 million in losses and damages from a string of alleged wrongful payments, mismanagement and unauthorised deletions of company records. In its statement of claim filed on June 12, the plaintiffs – Tipsy Collective and three of its subsidiaries (Tipsy Bird, Social Room Concepts and Tipsy Collective Singapore) – are alleging breaches of fiduciary and contractual duties by three former directors, David Gan Jia Liang, Derek Ong and Reuben Low Kok Cherng, and former human resources manager Avril Lim Qian Jun. Mr Gan, who was the former chief executive of the group, founded Tipsy Collective with Mr Ong in 2019. Following internal disputes, the bloc of investors and shareholders who oppose Mr Gan has increased its collective stake from 59.39 per cent to 97.3 per cent, according to the latest shareholder records from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. Mr Gan currently owns 1.66 per cent of the company's shares, and Mr Low holds 1.03 per cent. As Mr Ong died in August 2023, his wife, Ms Melody Huang Bao'er, who is the administrator of his estate, was named as the second defendant in the lawsuit. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day Singapore Etomidate found in blood of 2 people involved in fatal Punggol Road accident in May: HSA Singapore More students to get Smart Buddy watches; most schools to go cashless by end-2025 Singapore Vape disposal bins at 23 CCs for users to surrender e-vaporisers, without facing penalties Business Microsoft Singapore managing director Lee Hui Li dies while on sabbatical Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly This new lawsuit follows an earlier court battle reported by The Straits Times in September 2024 , in which Mr Gan had sued eight parties – including investors and shareholders – claiming they had breached a shareholders' agreement and tried to unlawfully seize control of the company. The defendants – Indonesian investors Reino Ramaputra Barack and Santosa Kadiman, Singaporean Rudy Hartono Widjaja and four shareholder entities – rejected Mr Gan's claims. Instead, they pointed to alleged financial mismanagement under his leadership. They cited mounting debts and lack of financial transparency, and questioned the $6 million spent developing Tipsy Unicorn beach club in Sentosa. They claimed Mr Gan had caused the company to take out $8.7 million in loans, of which $6 million remained outstanding, and that the company owed $5.2 million to suppliers and nearly $1 million to Sentosa Development Corporation. Mr Gan failed to get an interim injunction to retain control of the company's board and subsequently lost his lawsuit against the investors and shareholders. On Nov 6, 2024, the board terminated his role as chief executive and removed Mr Low as director. On the same day, Mr Barack was appointed the chairman of the board of directors of Tipsy Collective. Mr Gan resigned from the board on Nov 15, 2024, while Ms Lim's last day with the company was Nov 17 of the same year. By December 2024, the financial toll of the leadership struggle had affected ground operations. More than 100 employees had faced delays in salary payments since October 2024. The company managed to settle overdue Central Provident Fund contributions and salaries only after four shareholders injected emergency funding. The group, which once operated 13 outlets, has since scaled down. At least four outlets have been shut since October 2024, and it is now left with five outlets. Now, led by its new management, Tipsy Collective is turning the tables on its former leadership with this latest suit. The first set of allegations involves unauthorised payments made. The plaintiffs allege that Mr Gan and Mr Ong caused the companies to transfer more than $4.2 million to themselves and Mr Low, or between entities, without justification. These included $1.49 million in payments, made in December 2020, and $2.8 million disbursed between June 2020 and May 2024. The suit alleged that the payments had no commercial justification and brought no benefit to the companies, and that the three former directors failed to recover the funds, causing significant losses to the group. The lawsuit also cited a string of poor business decisions that allegedly harmed the group financially. The development of Tipsy Unicorn – a 19,000 sq ft beach club on Sentosa's Siloso Beach that opened in September 2023 – is at the centre of these claims. The construction cost of the project ballooned from $4 million to more than $6.1 million due to lack of due diligence and planning. Court documents also noted that the claimants did not have sufficient resources to undertake the construction of Tipsy Unicorn. Despite the fact that Tipsy Collective was 'in financial difficulties and needed monies from shareholders to sustain its operations', Mr Gan and Mr Ong allegedly continued to undertake more projects, the court documents noted. Another alleged mishap flagged in court documents was the group's investment in Tipsy Flamingo Malaysia. The plaintiffs claimed the venture led to a loss of more than $1.3 million. The renewal of leases for underperforming outlets, such as Tipsy Penguin, Tipsy Bunny and Tipsy Flamingo, was also highlighted. These new leases apparently involved higher rents and service charges, further straining the group's finances. The lawsuit further accused Mr Gan and Ms Lim of destroying and withholding company records. Mr Gan allegedly deleted more than 4,000 files from the company's Google Drive and continued accessing company systems without authorisation after his departure. Ms Lim is alleged to have erased nearly 5,000 files and formatted her company-issued laptop, erasing all stored data. Both of them are being held liable for damages linked to the data loss, with the plaintiffs also seeking an injunction to prevent Mr Gan from using any confidential company information that may have been retained. Separately, the Ministry of Law's website showed Mr Gan was declared a bankrupt on June 19, in proceedings separate from the civil suit.

Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Thailand rejects international mediation to end fighting with Cambodia
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A Thai military mobile unit fires towards Cambodia's side after Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery on Friday as their worst fighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day, in Surin, Thailand, July 25, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha BANGKOK - Thailand has rejected mediation efforts from third countries to end the ongoing conflict with Cambodia, insisting that Phnom Penh cease attacks and resolve the situation only through bilateral talks, its foreign ministry said on Friday. Simmering border tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have flared into open hostilities at multiple locations along the frontline, with exchanges of artillery for a second straight day. At least 16 people, most of them Thai civilians, have died so far in the heaviest fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in over a decade. The United States, China and Malaysia, which is the current chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, have offered to facilitate dialogue but Bangkok is seeking a bilateral solution to the conflict, Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told Reuters. "I don't think we need any mediation from a third country yet," Nikorndej said in an interview. Cambodia and Thailand accuse each other of starting the conflict early on Thursday at a disputed site, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling along a border where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century. "We stand by our position that bilateral mechanism is the best way out, this is a confrontation between the two countries," Nikorndej said, adding that the Cambodian side must stop violence along the border first. "Our doors are still open." Cambodia's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its Prime Minister Hun Manet asked the United Nations Security Council on Thursday to convene a meeting on the issue, condemning what he called "unprovoked and premeditated military aggression" by Thailand. The body has said it will hold a closed-door meeting to discuss the issue on Friday. The fighting broke out a day after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh on Wednesday and expelled Cambodia's envoy, in response to landmine explosions that injured Thai soldiers. Thai authorities allege the mines had been laid recently by Cambodia, a charge dismissed by Phnom Penh as baseless. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of 10-nation ASEAN of which both Thailand and Cambodia are members, said on Thursday he had spoken to the leaders of both countries and urged them to find a peaceful resolution. "If the ASEAN family wants to facilitate a return to constructive bilateral negotiations, that's welcome as well," Nikorndej said. REUTERS

Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
China's premier tells EU leaders ‘we can't afford' massive industrial subsidies
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Chinese Premier Li Qiang with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the end of the EU-China Business leaders symposium in Beijing on July 24. BEIJING - Chinese Premier Li Qiang dismissed EU fears over Beijing's allegedly excessive subsidies to its industry, telling the bloc's leaders 'we can't afford it' in markedly candid remarks during a tense summit. Speaking during a roundtable with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on July 24, Mr Li insisted that 'China is by no means doing what some call a subsidies policy or fiscal subsidies'. 'China is not as rich as Europe, and we can't afford it,' he said. 'We would not be stupid enough to use the fiscal funds accumulated through the government and the hard work of our people to sell our products to foreign consumers,' Mr Li added. Dr von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa were in Beijing on July 24 for a summit dominated by tensions between the EU and China over trade and Russia's war in Ukraine. Chief among the bloc's concerns was its yawning trade deficit with China , which stood at around US$360 billion (S$461 billion) in 2024. The EU has also raised fears that Beijing's vast subsidies to its industry could help it undercut European competitors with a flood of cheap exports to the continent. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA Singapore HDB resale price growth moderates in Q2, more flats sold Singapore Etomidate found in blood of 2 people involved in fatal Punggol Road accident in May: HSA Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day Singapore Private residential home prices up 1 per cent in Q2: URA Singapore Ex-cop faces 15 charges over sex offences involving at least 6 boys, allegedly made child porn Business Singapore factory output grows at faster pace of 8% in June, better than expected Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly Mr Li, China's No. 2 official, rejected those claims in a roundtable with the EU's leadership. 'Some enterprises, especially manufacturing enterprises, feel more deeply that China's manufacturing capabilities are too strong, and Chinese people are too hardworking,' the Chinese premier said. 'Factories run 24 hours a day,' he said. 'Some people think this will cause some new problems in the balance of supply and demand in world production,' the Chinese premier said, admitting: 'We see this problem too.' Mr Li also rejected claims the Chinese economy – plagued by sluggish growth for years now – was in dire straits. 'Of course, there are difficulties and challenges, but it is difficult for us to say that China's economy is in a downturn,' he said. 'Our GDP growth rate is always above five per cent,' he insisted. AFP