In the midst of the campaign for the presidency of the FFR: the mayor of Gruissan, Didier Codorniou, targeted by an investigation

En pleine élection à la présidence de la Fédération française de rugby, Didier Codorniou voit dans ce timing une boule puante politique. Independant – PHILIPPE LEBLANC

L’Équipe revealed on Friday that Didier Cordorniou, the mayor of Gruissan since 2001, was the subject of an investigation in the exercise of his functions. L’Indépendant can confirm that a search did indeed take place on Thursday, September 12, in the town hall premises. It concerns a file dating from 2019 concerning the development of the Ayguades lake.

A search took place this Thursday, September 12 at the Gruissan town hall. The gendarmes of the Montpellier research section, intervening as part of a judicial investigation opened in 2022 against X for illegal taking of interest, searched for documents that could constitute evidence.

Seized files

The investigators wish to know the conditions for granting temporary occupation of the public domain to the company Nautic Park Ayguades. The investigators are trying to determine under what circumstances the Tourist Office could have entrusted a mission to this company as part of the development of the Ayguades lake. The operation of an economic activity on the occupation of public land is subject to the obligation of competitive tendering. However, among the associated managers of the company is the vice-president of the Tourist Office.

Among the documents sought by the investigators, the deliberations of the Gruissan municipal council. Did the elected officials entrust the OT with the mission relating to the development of the Ayguades maritime zone? ? Was there favouritism? ? Under what conditions would the OT have entrusted this mission to a company whose manager had an interest in carrying out this work? ? Can Mayor Didier Codorniou be implicated? ? As mayor, he is indeed president of the OT, but in reality, he sits very rarely on the steering committee.

The activities developed by the Nautic Park company in Ayguades were the subject of a long-matured project within the Tourist Office, which was then headed by Jean-Claude Méric. The latter, recently retired, was replaced at the head of the OT by the former DGS Emmanuel Baco, who left the town hall to head this EPIC.

In the middle of the campaign for the presidency of the FFR

“I am flabbergasted!” admits Didier Codorniou… I am in the middle of an election for the presidency of the French Rugby Federation!" For the mayor of Gruissan, this is no coincidence. "This is a file that dates back to 2019, secured with the support of a lawyer. For the 25 years that I have been elected, I have attached great importance to the procedures and the protection of all elected members of the council. There was a call for tenders since it is a lease, and an application was processed by my services."

"I always told them:“Make sure I am protected, that there is no deviation”, he warns. The mayor also reminds “that the legality control of the deliberations was indeed exercised by the State services". Assuring that there was indeed a call for tenders, he specifies: “A file was submitted by a consortium of three people, local companies positioned themselves. I contacted lawyers, it was Jean-Claude Méric who brought this case since I knew that in this consortium there was Daniel Reyné, the vice-president of the Tourist Office." And Didier Codorniou concludes: "I'm cashing in. I'm waiting for the results of this investigation". While the FFR elections are scheduled for October 19, this is an issue that the mayor of Gruissan could have done without…

The vice-president of the Tourist Office: “This company is losing money!”

Daniel Reyné, vice-president of the Tourist Office for over 20 years, can't believe it. “We are talking about a legal entity, in which I was not even present at the very beginning. Then I entered with only 15% through a second legal entity. We are 4 partners, Eric Lanaret, Didier Triniol, Carlos Ubach and me, two of whom hold 35%, and two 15%. The company borrowed 450,000 euros, and must face large repayments each month. It is very difficult to repay almost 7000 euros, especially in winter. The company has been for sale for a year, if you give me one euro, I will give up my shares! How can we talk about illegal taking of interest in the context of a company that loses so much money? ? We close in October to open at Easter… But maybe it will file for bankruptcy at at that time”.

For his part, Joao Manuel Baco, the general director of the OT specifies that “since he joined, at no time has Daniel Reyné participated in the deliberations of the Committee Director of the Office concerning this company.

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