Invited by
France Inter
this Thursday to react to his conviction in the arbitration case between Crédit Lyonnais and Bernard Tapie, which resulted in the payment of more than 400 million euros to the businessman in 2008, Orange CEO Stéphane Richard expressed his
"incomprehension" in the
face of the judgment.
“If there has been fraud in arbitration, I am totally foreign to it. Is it normal for a chief of staff to pay the consequences of this decision? I don't think so, ”
reaffirmed the former chief of staff of Christine Lagarde in Bercy.
“It was not me who in 2007 came up with the idea of doing an arbitration.
I did not know this case, I did not know Bernard Tapie.
Everyone can see that this idea did not come from me
,
”
assured Stéphane Richard.
Read alsoThe conviction of Stéphane Richard destabilizes Orange
The leader then reconsidered his choice to resign from his position as CEO of Orange, which he will leave at the beginning of 2022 at the latest.
"I accept it perfectly, I never thought for a second to remain in this function if condemned. there was.
(...) It was obvious that I could not stay in my post, given the shock that it creates in the company, ”
he said.
“My great pride is to have reconnected and to have brought back dialogue and humanity (in the company).
I am quite proud of what has been done (at Orange), ”
concluded Stéphane Richard.