The investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office targeting the director of the Nîmes hospital continues
The investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office is continuing with the continuation of the investigations after a search carried out on February 10 at the Nîmes University Hospital.
The PNF is in charge of an investigation into the facts “of favoritism and corruption in the context of the award of several public contracts in connection with the operation of the hospitals of Annecy and Nîmes”said a Parisian judicial source.
PJ of Lyon
The investigation was entrusted to investigators from the Lyon judicial police who had carried out a vast operation in the office of the director of the CHU and at his home (ML of February 11). About fifteen police officers and a magistrate from the PNF had supervised the searches which had led to the recovery of numerous documents and computer data.
Nicolas Best, the general manager of the Nîmes hospital center and the former director of the Annecy hospital, reacted in a press release and confirmed the search.
The communications department clarified that “the searches took place when no prior summons to a hearing was issued and he has not been the subject of any hearing by the investigators to date. The director general stands of course at the disposal of police officers and magistrates and reserves exclusively for them all the details they deem necessary”.
It was also indicated that “the CEO remains mobilized in the performance of his duties”. Asked about the merits of the case, the PNF was not very talkative.
In March, he stated that “the investigations are continuing in the preliminary form. Investigators are currently working on the items seized during the searches..
“Shock of the searches”
The suspicions of the specialized jurisdiction relate to anomalies linked to work carried out in the hospitals of Nîmes and Annecy (directed by Mr. Best from 2015 to 2018).
Hearings would not be excluded soon. For his part, the director of the CHU had limited himself in his public speech while waiting to be heard. However, it turned out that he was “under the shock of the psychological violence of the searches”. In his entourage, it was emphasized “his good faith” and “his honesty could not be faulted”.
Contacted by telephone, Mr. Best could not be reached on Saturday. For his part, Me Philippe Expert, confirmed that he was providing the defense but did not wish to speak at this stage of the procedure.