It is an “atypical” case involving “money laundering, presumption of money laundering, misuse of corporate assets in a mess, fraud”.
According to the prosecutor, the “circumstances” of this case are even “worthy of a suspense novel”.
The prosecution requested on Tuesday five years of imprisonment, three of which are closed, in particular for misuse of corporate assets, money laundering and fraud against Franck Julien, ex-boss of the business services giant Atalian, suspected of having embezzled more than 36 million euros between 2008 and 2019 from his company's accounts.
The prosecutor also requested a fine of one million euros against the former boss, of whom she mentioned the “fusional” relationship with Atalian, “to the point of confusing his assets” with that of the company. .
She also demanded sentences ranging from 18 months' suspended imprisonment to one year against around ten other defendants, including former senior executives of Atalian and directors of service companies, prosecuted in particular for complicity in abuse of social assets, fraud and money laundering.
The case began fortuitously on January 6, 2015, during an ordinary road check, when customs officers discovered nearly two million euros in cash in the trunk of a car, hidden in a water heater and a dryer.
“Predation of society’s assets”
Over the course of the investigations, the investigators had uncovered a “real predation of the company's assets for the benefit of its manager”, summarized the investigating judges in their referral order.
The ex-CEO used to invoice his company - and rarely reimburse - for the renovation of personal real estate: an apartment in Paris, a house in the Rambouillet forest (Yvelines), a private mansion in Uccle, near Brussels…
The craftsmen overcharged or issued false invoices to later transfer cash to Franck Julien or other company executives.
This “cash” would then have been used for the “personal needs” of the ex-CEO, to purchase “social peace” with the unions or to “win new markets” with certain clients.
The total damage caused to Atalian, a civil party to the trial, is estimated at 36 to 37 million euros.
Created in 1944, Atalian, specializing in cleaning and business security, today has 67,000 employees worldwide and achieved 2 billion euros in turnover in 2022.