Prosecutors request home-detention sentence for Dati in Renault corruption trial
French prosecutors are asking for a two-year sentence for former culture minister Rachida Dati, to be served at home with an electronic tag, plus a five-year ban from public office. The case concerns allegations that she lobbied for Renault-Nissan while serving as a European Parliament member between 2009 and 2013. Prosecutors also seek a four-year prison term for Carlos Ghosn, the former Renault-Nissan chief being tried in absentia.
Rachida Dati, 60, was justice minister from 2007 to 2009 under Nicolas Sarkozy before becoming an MEP. She later held the culture portfolio, resigned in February to campaign for Paris mayor, lost to Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire, and remains mayor of the capital’s seventh district.
Prosecutors are seeking a two-year home-detention term with an electronic tag and a five-year public-office ban for Dati. They allege she lobbied for Renault-Nissan while an MEP from October 2009 to February 2013 and received €900,000 in legal fees from a Dutch subsidiary. Carlos Ghosn, the former Renault-Nissan chief in Lebanon, is being tried in absentia; prosecutors want four years for him. A decision is expected in months.
The case could shape public trust in French political ethics and corporate governance, especially among Paris voters and those following Renault-Nissan. Dati’s constituents may reassess her local role as proceedings continue. Ghosn’s absence from court may complicate perceptions of accountability. If the requested penalties are imposed, they may intensify debate over public-office bans and electronic monitoring for prominent defendants.