In a press release, the HATVP also considers that the deportation decree published this Tuesday in the Official Gazette, “by virtue of which the Minister will not (know) acts of any kind related in particular to the Perenco group, allows preventing the risk of conflicts of interest against this group”.
According to this decree, matters related to three companies, including this oil group led by the minister’s father, will be dealt with by the Prime Minister.
Checks issued last week
On November 8, the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP) had launched investigations and verifications, after information from Disclose revealed that his sons had shares in a French company, not mentioned in his declaration of interests, and whose funds are partially domiciled in tax havens.
The minister’s father, Jean-Michel Runacher, created this civil society in France in 2016, named Arjunem, as part of a transfer of assets. Four of his grandchildren are partners, including Ms. Pannier-Runacher’s three children who were minors at the time, and for whom the minister signed as legal representative.
According to Disclose, this wealth comes from hedge funds, based in Delaware, Ireland and Guernsey, and in which Perenco also had investments.
“False and slanderous allegations”
Arrested in the National Assembly and accused of conflict of interest by members of the opposition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher had denounced “false and slanderous accusations”, assuring that this issue “had no connection to (her) duties as minister”, and referred to , on the origin of the funds, to his father.
He claimed that his children were null owners and, therefore, did not receive dividends, leaving Jean-Michel Runacher as usufructuary, and that the financial products were deposited in a bank in Luxembourg.
He also indicated that his father had “contributed shares of funds that are not related to Perenco” and that these were “investments acquired in the past as part of his personal investments.”
Regarding Perenco, the ministry reiterated Tuesday that “the minister has never had to make a decision about this foreign group, or even meet with their representatives in the framework of her government functions.”
Source: BFM TV
