Le Figaro Nice
Thing promised, thing due.
The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes Hugues Moutouh published a decree on Thursday ordering the permanent closure of the private Muslim colleague Avicenne, located in the disadvantaged Ariane district, northeast of Nice.
A victory for the representative of the Maralpine State who had this establishment in his sights for several months, in light of serious breaches of the obligations covered by the anti-separatism law.
The only Koranic establishment in the Alpes-Maritimes department, the Avicenne college welcomes 99 students divided into four classes ranging from 6th to 3rd since its opening on September 1, 2015. However, since 2022, several letters have been sent to the president of the association manager of the college asking him to publicize the establishment's resources without it meeting this requirement both in substance and in form.
The last letter of formal notice, also co-signed by the rector, dates from November 29, 2023.
“The systematic examination of all the documents presented to the administration reveals numerous inadequacies and serious breaches of the obligations referred to [.. .] The statements transmitted also do not meet the need for financial transparency imposed by law.
These are not errors or omissions but rather repeated failures over time and over all the periods examined (financial years 2021, 2022)
,” indicates the prefecture.
Read alsoNice: what we know about the Avicenna private Muslim college threatened with closure
Opaque financing
Thus, 85% of the college's financial statements in 2021 were judged to be non-compliant and 83% in 2022.
“Most of the financing provided is imprecise and untraceable
,” deplores the prefect.
Several
“suspicious loans”
granted to the Nice college were also brought to light, for a total amount of 476,350 euros.
Added to this are three cash payments in 2021. 12,000 euros in
“suspicious donations”
, according to the prefect.
In the opposite direction, the college granted a loan of 25,000 euros to third parties
“unrelated”
to its school activities.
So much opaque financing and irregularities which made it impossible to determine the origin and destination of the funds.
Based on this observation, prefect Moutouh, alongside the rector of Nice Natacha Chicot, contacted the public prosecutor of Nice Damien Martinelli on December 7, 2023 under article 40 of the code of criminal procedure.
A preliminary investigation was opened immediately.
At the end of February, the newly appointed Minister of National Education, Nicole Belloubet, took up the subject, announcing her intention to close the establishment.
It is now done, even if the execution date is at the end of the school year, July 6.
The prefect accepts and asserts his decree, considering that the closure of the Avicenna college is in
“the interest of the children who are welcomed there”
.
He specifies that the rectorate
“will very quickly contact the families concerned”
to support them in the process of registering their children in a new establishment from the next school year.
On the Threads social network, the mayor of Nice welcomed the prefect's decision,
"in accordance with the commitment made by the Minister of National Education [Nicole Belloubet], due to the opaque financing of the establishment and manifest irregularities noted.”