Rachida Dati, France’s ambitious culture minister who is aiming to become mayor of Paris, has been accused of failing to disclose luxury jewellery and watches worth more than €400,000.
Libération, the French newspaper, said that the items had been bought for her by Henri Proglio, the former chief executive of EDF, the French energy company, with whom she is rumoured to have had an affair.
French ministers have a duty to provide a statement of their wealth upon taking office, declaring funds, shares, property, cars and other belongings including paintings, antique furniture and horses. The Higher Authority for Transparency in Public Life, an independent agency for standards and integrity, says the declaration must also include jewels worth more than €10,000 per item.
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Libération said that Dati, a Moroccan bricklayer’s daughter who rose to become one of France’s most high-profile politicians, had omitted to mention 19 pieces of jewellery and watches worth a total of €420,000.
These included a Chopard watch worth €32,000, a gold and diamond Bulgari bracelet with a value of €28,900, a Repossi bracelet, also gold and diamond, worth €36,000 and gold and platinum Cartier rings worth €68,500, the leftwing daily said. It said that Dati had declared personal wealth of €5.6 million in property, life insurance and savings.
Dati’s lawyers said that she had “perfectly respected” her obligations, adding that information about her jewellery collection, whether “true or not”, was a private matter. They accused Libération of causing “public disorder” by publishing before a Paris council assembly.
Dati is planning to run as the centre-right candidate in next year’s Paris mayoral election, when Anne Hidalgo, the socialist incumbent, is to stand down. Dati, 59, has been one of France’s most colourful and controversial politicians for almost two decades. She is known for her tough talk, her designer dresses and for returning to her job as justice minister a day after giving birth in 2009.
Dati is also accused of accepting €900,000 from Carlos Ghosn, the former Renault chief executive who absconded from pretrial detention in Japan and escaped to Lebanon.
French prosecutors allege that the funds were payment for illegal lobbying in the European parliament while Dati was an MEP. They have demanded that she be sent for trial. She denies wrongdoing and has appealed against the decision to order a court hearing.
