The works, estimated at "a little over two thousand euros", would have been offered through Franck Meneroux, one of the directors of the Saur in Ardèche. Olivier Dussopt was pinned on Wednesday by Mediapart for having received as a gift from the Saur two lithographs signed Gérard Garouste, in 2017, when a contract was about to be concluded between the company and his city of Annonay (Ardèche) .
The case reported by the information site dates back to January 2017, ten months before the entry into government of Olivier Dussopt as secretary of state for the public service, when he was a deputy and mayor. "Only a few days before being offered the lithographs of Garouste, Olivier Dussopt publicly announced as mayor of Annonay an industrial partnership with ... Saur for the installation of a micro-hydroelectric turbine in the town", indicates Mediapart.
A "gift from the company"
The contract, negotiated since 2016, was formally signed six months later, on June 1, 2017. Joined Tuesday evening by the site, Olivier Dussopt first invoked a gift of "friend" from Franck Meneroux before acknowledging "a gift from the company ”offered during an interview with this manager and another Saur manager.
The Secretary of State explains that he did not declare these lithographs to the ethics officer of the National Assembly - as is required for any gift over 150 euros - because he "did not know the value" of the two paintings. He ensures "moreover and to avoid any controversy (having) decided to return this gift as soon as possible".
He specifies that the awarding of contracts to Saur was made on the basis of "selection criteria fixed by the specifications of the invitation to tender" without it intervening in the procedure and that "Saur has won those markets for which it was the best bid. "
Franck Meneroux told Mediapart "not to manage this kind of thing", referring to the communication department of Saur. The company did not comment, stating that it “conducted an internal investigation”.
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