While waiting for the result of his appeal trial, where he hopes to escape a fine of 35.5 million euros, the butcher Cooperl (Madrange, Paul Prédault) has obtained payment facilities to settle it without compromising his future .
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Strong protests after the sanctions against the ham cartel
Condemned this summer for agreeing on the prices of cooked meats between July 2010 and June 2012, the leader of the pork sector in France had engaged in a real political standoff: he threatened to close two to three factories in France if he had to pay his fine, as provided by law.
On the one hand, he claims to be innocent and believes he was convicted on the basis of falsified evidence;
on the other hand, he fears that the payment of the fine will cause chain reactions, with the defection of his bankers and the deterioration of his credit rating, which would threaten his survival.
This red rag from a group of 2.4 billion euros in turnover, 2,700 breeders and 7,000 employees has not gone unnoticed at Bercy.
"No question of questioning the sanction,"
says one in the entourage of Bruno Le Maire.
On the other hand, if the cooperative does not succeed in obtaining in court a suspension of the execution of its sentence (the time to obtain the result of its procedure on appeal), the ministry promises to assure him
"of the conditions of time compatible with its repayment capacity, so that the fine does not represent a risk for the group's activity and the employment of its employees ”
.
A risk that is difficult to let run at a time when the health crisis causes series failures and risks inflating the unemployment figures.