VIDEO. Orpea scandal: "I was offered 15 million euros to stop my investigation into nursing homes"

For three years, Victor Castanet, an independent journalist, investigated the Orpea group, the world leader in nursing homes.

Over the 250 testimonies collected on several dozen sites in France, the same refrain: abuse of the elderly cared for in the group's establishments and unmanageable work overload for the nursing staff.

Two years after the start of his investigation, and as Orpea begins to understand that his work is very detailed, Victor Castanet is having lunch with a "friend of the group's leaders".

During this meal, he offered him 15 million euros to stop the investigation, via a contract in good and due form.

“Accepting this proposal never crossed my mind.

When you have all these testimonies and collected all this suffering, it is impossible.

Even for 15 million euros,” this independent journalist calmly explains.

"What shocked me the most was hearing one of the former executives explain to me that they treated people not as people, but as consumer products."

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"It is out of the question that such actions are tolerated in our country", reacted Gabriel Attal after the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

“Our elders deserve respect, they deserve the best, and there is no question that such acts can be tolerated in our country,” he added.

The CEO of the Orpea group will be summoned by the Minister Delegate for Autonomy, Brigitte Bourguignon, who reserves the possibility of an independent investigation into these serious facts if they are proven.