The old iconic boss of Areva, Anne Lauvergeon, was heard Friday by the investigating judges in an investigation of gray areas surrounding the purchase of Uramin in 2007, an operation that s’ proved disastrous for the French nuclear giant.
the one nicknamed “Atomic Anne”, which led the group from 2001 to 2011, was convened to an indictment, as requested by the national financial parquet in written submissions, but it can out of the hearing in the intermediate status of assisted witness, said several sources close to the investigation told AFP.
Two judicial inquiries have been opened since 2014, one on the disastrous takeover of Canadian mining company Uramin, who aspired to exploit three uranium deposits in Namibia, southern Africa and Central Africa, the other on the presentation of accounts the Areva group in 2010 and 2011, previous years are covered by the prescription.
in this second survey, open to presentation of inaccurate accounts, dissemination of false or misleading information, forgery and abuse power, since Friday morning heard what Anne Lauvergeon, at a hearing that can last all day.
In the first survey, her husband Olivier Fric, suspected of having speculated on the title of Uramin at redemption by taking advantage of inside information and of having drawn nearly 300,000 euros profit, was indicted for insider trading on 23 March.
in the night, the entrance to the consulting firm of Anne Lauvergeon was fractured, as the premises of two firms lawyers, located in the same building in Paris (eighth district), a judicial source said.
– “considerable losses” –
Specifically, the investigating magistrates want to establish if Anne Lauvergeon lobbied to minimize provisions for impairment of assets in the accounts of the group, to delay discovery of the collapse in the value of Uramin.
in late 2011, after the departure of his boss, Areva had finally announce heavy losses and a provision of 1.5 billion euros on the value of Uramin.
in his denunciation to justice, early 2014, the Court of Auditors estimated that items had been hidden in the supervisory board and supervisory bodies representing the state, main shareholder Areva. “These maneuvers contrary to the interests of Areva and has generated considerable losses for the group, were intended to allow Anne Lauvergeon of trying to stay ahead of the group,” fell within the financial magistrates, according to elements of this report which AFP has learned.
“the accounts were arrested on 27 July 2011 by the new board (after his departure, note). They contain no new impairment of assets, “Ms. Lauvergeon defended herself in an interview in Paris on March 30.
Among the losses Uramin, the Fukushima disaster and other difficulties including the construction of an EPR in Finland, Areva ended up in the red in 2015 for the fifth consecutive year. The group will benefit from a massive bailout of EUR 5 billion of the French state but it will cut 6,000 jobs worldwide, including 4,000 in France to 3.
Anne Lauvergeon has also set before the Fukushima disaster, which occurred in March 2011, and its impact on the price of uranium, to explain the collapse of Uramin.
But for many geologists and Areva executives heard in the investigation, the operation aroused many concerns, especially because of the difficulties to operate the sites.
investigators query in particular the central role of a Belgian financier, Daniel Wouters, recruited 2006 by Areva, and possible links to a company he headed, Swala, with shareholders of Uramin at the time of redemption. Its proximity Olivier Fric is also being studied as part of the investigation.
The French Justice sent a request for legal assistance in Canada to try to trace some of the money swallowed by the redemption of Uramin and whether they could lead to the payment of bribes wine.
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