Gasoline consumption of municipal vehicles in Forbach is skyrocketing, the mayor files a complaint

The mayor of Forbach (Moselle) initiated an internal administrative investigation within his services and filed a complaint with the Sarreguemines prosecutor’s office after verifying that the gasoline consumption of municipal vehicles made available to his agents had skyrocketed at the beginning of 2023.

Doubled or even tripled consumption

“The vehicles in our fleet normally consume between 500 and 700 liters of fuel per week, although it can be a little more during peaks of activity,” specifies the mayor of Forbach, Alexandre Cassaro.

“But at the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023, during a budget review carried out with the city executives, we observed abnormally high consumption, which doubled or even tripled,” he added, confirming a report from the regional newspaper Le Républicain Lorrain.

The mayor quickly took action to regulate the use of the 37 gas cards that his agents use to refuel the 64 service vehicles.

“We have centralized all fuel cards in one person and, since this prudential system was launched, fuel consumption has decreased considerably and has returned to normal,” stressed Alexandre Cassaro.

Damage that could reach 100,000 euros

Given these abuses observed at the beginning of the year, the mayor of this town of 22,000 inhabitants began an internal investigation, during which several agents were interviewed, before filing a complaint against X with the Public Ministry.

“The internal investigation made it possible to gather as much information as possible about the internal workings that are now in the hands of the justice system,” he continued.

The amount of economic damage for the city of Forbach has not been specified: “The results of the investigation will make it possible to determine this,” declared Alexandre Cassaro. The municipal opposition estimates it at close to 100,000 euros, according to Le Républicain Lorrain.

No agent has been sanctioned at the moment: “As long as we do not have the results of the investigation, disciplinary measures cannot be taken,” the mayor stressed.