An investigation was opened in August on the conditions of a call for tenders for a luxury hotel project in the area of Chantilly (Oise), we learned on Wednesday from the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF), confirming information from the
Parisian
.
The investigation was opened for "understanding and favoritism", confirmed the PNF.
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The financial prosecutor's office examines the conditions under which a call for tenders was organized
"aimed at granting the Château d'Enghien for fifty years"
, opposite the Château de Chantilly,
"to make it a luxury hotel"
, according to
Le Parisian
. Three candidates responded to the call for tenders launched in April by the Institut de France, led by former minister Xavier Darcos, but only Frédéric Jousset, with the Art Nova fund, made an offer deemed serious.
This single candidacy suggests
"a restricted or distorted competition"
, worried in his letter of resignation from the post of administrator of the domain Didier Selles, sent on July 14 and revealed by
Le Canard enchaîn
é.
In this letter, Didier Selles evokes the
"suspicion, even
[the]
conviction"
of Xavier Darcos on the possibility
"that the companies have come to an agreement among themselves"
, reports
Le Parisien
.
Concerned about the
“possible criminal consequences”
, he advocated seizing the Competition Authority and putting an end to the award procedure.
Risk of "
financial loss for the estate"
Frédéric Jousset, entrepreneur and patron at the head of the monthly
Beaux Arts,
planned, with the help of the architect Jacques Garcia, to fit out in the castle of Enghien
"twenty luxury rooms invoiced at 760 euros per night"
with spa and restaurant top of the line. The offer provided for an
"average royalty over the duration of the agreement of around 963,000 euros"
, according to
Le Parisien
.
The Court of Auditors, quoted by the newspaper, estimated that the project
"could lead to a financial loss for the area"
of Chantilly.
The financial prosecutor's office is also interested in a grant of 4.5 million euros requested from the Ministries of Culture and Finance for renovation work on the Château d'Enghien.
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According to Xavier Darcos, quoted by
Le Parisien
, the call for tenders was finally abandoned.
Member of the board of directors of the Louvre and co-founder of the Webhelp group, Frédéric Jousset created the Art Explora foundation in 2019 to finance actions aimed at
“reducing the cultural divide”
.
In July, he signed a lease with the State to redevelop the “Hangar Y”, an emblematic place in the history of aeronautics in Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine).
It also obtained the concession of the Relais de Chambord, an upscale hotel.