New episode in the real estate war raging on the Rock
The President of the Supreme Court of the Principality is targeted. The real estate war raging in monaco for over a year with an online campaign involving four relatives of the prince Albert II has just experienced a new episode with the motion for challenge brought on Friday against Didier Linotte.
At the origin of the procedure through his company Esperanza, the Monegasque real estate magnate Patrice Pastor, questions his “impartiality” in the handling of a dispute relating to a major real estate project, “l’esplanade fishermen “.
A plot of 13,000 m2 at stake
The financial stakes are considerable, the price per square meter in Monaco being among the highest in the world. On this strip of land of 2 km2 already ultra-urbanized along the sea, each free surface is bitterly contested. And this is the case of this plot of approximately 13,000 m2, the stake of a fierce battle between the Caroli group, which intends to build a real estate and cultural complex there, and that of Patrice Pastor.
This motion for recusal is based on documents, and in particular videos and confidential email exchanges, in connection with real estate projects published in the fall of 2021 by a website entitled “les dossiers du Rocher”.
These documents show links between the Caroli group and four relatives of Prince Albert II, baptized “the G4” by the platform. In addition to Didier Linotte, including his lawyer and friend Thierry Lacoste, Claude Palmero, administrator of his property, and Laurent Anselmi, his chief of staff. All have filed a complaint as well as Patrice Pastor, accused of being the sponsor of this site. At the end of October, two men suspected of having taken part in this campaign were indicted in Paris.
The process “escapes competition”
The wealthy businessman believes that “the serene and impartial examination” of his appeal against a downgrading of the site is “impossible objectification” on the part of Didier Linotte. For the Pastor group, “both the definition of the project and the methods of appointing the Caroli group have never been completely clarified, the whole process escaping competition”.
Me Richard Malka, lawyer for Patrice Pastor, also argues that the “impartiality” of Didier Linotte has been “reasonably questioned on several occasions” by Serge Telle, former Minister of State of the Principality, concerning “conflicts of interests”. “I can’t imagine that such a high magistrate would not be keen to protect the judicial institution by maintaining his strength in this dispute. It is therefore very confident that we expect that[il] show responsibility by stepping down,” he added.
The Supreme Court of Monaco, which has jurisdiction in constitutional and administrative matters, is composed of five members and two alternates. Gathered in court formation, he can reject the request or the instruction. In any case, if it were to meet, it would be without its chairman, who would then be heard during the debates. Contacted, Didier Linotte did not wish to comment.