Christophe Castaner estimated on Sunday that the questioning by the Senate of the private firm McKinsey, which has signed numerous contracts with the State and has not paid taxes for years, was a "
trial of intent
" and a “
political operation
”.
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"
It's a trial of intent.
When you speak, for 16.5 million euros for a full year, of McKinsey 477 times, it is indeed a political operation
”, declared on RMC the leader of the deputies of the majority LREM.
Read alsoMcKinsey, itinerary of a controversy
The Senate revealed on March 17, as part of a commission of inquiry launched by the small group CRCE with a Communist majority, that the contracts concluded by the State with consulting firms like McKinsey had "
more than doubled
" between 2018 and 2021, reaching a record amount of more than one billion euros in 2021.
The senators also took legal action for "
suspicion of false testimony
" against a McKinsey executive who claimed that his firm paid corporate tax (IS) in France, while the commission of inquiry noted that the French entities of McKinsey had not paid any IS for ten years.
"
The complaint you mention has no chance of succeeding
," said Mr. Castaner.
"
There are a number of temporary assignments (for) which you use private service providers,
" defended the MP.
"
It's really a totally stupid trial, that of saying + everything should be internalized + from the school canteen (...) to a certain number of specific missions
", he judged.
“
If there is evidence of manipulation, let it go to the criminal
”, Emmanuel Macron had launched last Sunday to those who reproach him for these numerous contracts.
The candidate president had considered in particular that the non-payment of the IS by McKinsey was explained by the tax rules in force.
