They officially present themselves as "actors committed to the fight against global warming and fuel poverty". But these respectable-looking companies, which reign supreme in the field of energy renovation, today find themselves in the crosshairs of justice because of the turpitudes of their leaders. Suspected of using these companies to launder millions of euros of hidden money, three businessmen and a secretary, aged 23 to 50, were indicted Thursday evening by an examining magistrate from Nanterre ( Hauts-de-Seine) in particular for “money laundering in an organized gang, abuse of corporate assets and fraud”. One of them, a Franco-Israeli considered to be the head of the network, was imprisoned, in accordance with the requisitions of the prosecution.
The investigation by police officers from the financial research and investigation brigade (BRIF) began last fall with information. A myriad of companies specializing in the installation of heat pumps and other thermodynamic water heaters, whose offices of the "holding" are located in Suresnes, would engage in embezzlement. This sector is particularly vulnerable to scams since this “green” equipment is very expensive - on average 12,000 euros a piece - and above all because its installation gives the customer the right to aid and subsidies to reward his ecological gesture. Deceptive commercial practices, corrupted loans, non-compliant installations in homes ... The complexity of regulations and high demand allow these companies to cheat customers and generate colossal turnover:more than 30 million euros.
The real "boss" was operating from Israel
According to the investigations of the investigators, the leaders of these companies took advantage of these very lucrative activities to then ventilate very large quantities of dirty money, brought by other crooked companies and wishing to hide the fraudulent origin of their funds - often from other scams or misuse of corporate assets.
The network of aigrefins justified these dirty transfers in its turnover by false invoices and collected a percentage on the laundered money.
The funds then passed through shell companies in Europe before their trace was lost abroad, probably in tax havens.
In just a few months, the network would have brewed between 9 and 10 million euros laundered. BRIF police officers discovered that these companies specializing in renewable energies were run in France by at least two de facto managers and that the real "boss" was pulling the strings from Israel. They took advantage of a stay of the sponsor in the Paris region to arrest him on Tuesday and place him in police custody, as well as a dozen other suspects. Including a secretary responsible for transporting the cash generated by occult bankers and concealing it at her home.