Key facts
- Former French culture minister Rachida Dati is on trial in Paris on corruption charges.
- Dati is accused of accepting €900,000 (£770,000) in lawyer's fees from a Renault-Nissan subsidiary between October 2009 and February 2013.
- Prosecutors allege the payments were for illegal lobbying, which is banned for members of the European parliament.
- Dati's legal team denies all allegations, stating she worked exclusively as a lawyer for the subsidiary.
- Carlos Ghosn, former CEO of Renault-Nissan, is also on trial in absentia.
- If convicted, Dati faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to €450,000.
Rachida Dati, a former French culture minister and prominent figure on the French right, has gone on trial in Paris on corruption charges linked to her dealings with the Renault-Nissan carmaking group. Dati, 60, is accused of illegal lobbying after accepting €900,000 (£770,000) in lawyer's fees from a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan between October 2009 and February 2013, when she was a member of the European parliament.
French prosecutors argue that the payments were intended to disguise lobbying work and facilitate contacts with then-President Nicolas Sarkozy, an activity banned for MEPs. Dati's legal team denies all corruption allegations, asserting she worked exclusively as a lawyer for the subsidiary. Investigators obtained a contract between Dati and former Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn, who is also on trial in absentia, during a search of Renault's headquarters in 2019.
Dati, who also served as justice minister under Sarkozy and is currently the district mayor of Paris's 7th arrondissement, has denied wrongdoing in this and other cases. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to €450,000, potentially impacting her political career. She previously served as culture minister under President Emmanuel Macron.