In a landmark decision, a Paris court has found Bernard Squarcini, who previously headed France's intelligence agency from 2008 to 2012, guilty of misusing his authority to aid the luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Hired as a security consultant after his tenure in government, Squarcini's actions centered around an illegal surveillance operation targeting François Ruffin, a journalist known for his critical documentaries about LVMH and its billionaire CEO Bernard Arnault.
The court imposed a four-year prison sentence, which includes two years of house arrest and a suspended two-year term, in addition to a hefty fine of €200,000 (approximately $217,000). Squarcini's defense team announced their intention to appeal the ruling.
The operation against Ruffin was ostensibly designed to protect LVMH's image amid mounting scrutiny. Notably, during the trial, which featured multiple defendants including civil servants and police officers, Bernard Arnault was called to testify, providing insight into LVMH's corporate governance and his own leadership role. In his testimony, he emphasized his accomplishments in expanding LVMH and denied any involvement in the surveillance plot.
While two of Squarcini's co-defendants were acquitted, the trial has unearthed a troubling nexus between high-ranking government officials and corporate entities, prompting a broader conversation about accountability and ethics in both sectors.
