former DFCO president Bernard Gnecchi released
This Monday, December 2, 2022, Bernard Gnecchi was tried for a case surrounding the sale of the Entreprise Dijonnaise group, in 2014. The former president of the DFCO was acquitted by the Dijon court.
A big name in the regional industry and former president of Dijon Football Côte-d’Or from 1998 to 2012, Bernard Gnecchi finds himself in court on Monday January 2 for a charge of embezzlement or concealment in a case that dates back to 2014. He was eventually declared innocent and released.
During the deliberation, it was difficult for Bernard Gnecchi to hide his relaxation. With this decision, the court put an end to a case that had been going on since 2014. To recall the facts, on December 2, 2014, Bernard Gnecchi sold the Entreprise Dijonnaise group of which he was at the head because it was experiencing difficulties. This construction company is taken over by Pierre Verny, an expert in construction consulting, for a symbolic euro.
But on April 24, 2015, Entreprise Dijonnaise was placed in receivership. Pierre Verny then accused the former president of the DFCO of having concealed the financial state of the group. Has he been the victim of a scam? This is what the Dijon court had to decide on January 2, 2022.
The civil party was not present this afternoon in the legal precinct. An absence which may surprise, but which above all means a lot for the defendant’s lawyer. “It is revealing and far from being anecdotal.”
He goes on to state that “the company went bankrupt simply because he didn’t absorb any money. He knew what he bought and he is trying to clear himself of this failure by blaming someone else”assures Master Dethomas.
Called to the bar to testify, it is a man with tired features who appears before the judges. Before giving in for a symbolic euro, Bernard Gnecchi claims to have tried everything for this family business, founded in 1945 by his grandfather. “We were confident despite difficult situations, we fought to find solutions”he says.
I never did my mourning.
Bernard GnéchiFormer CEO of Entreprise Dijonnaise
The 71-year-old man could not contain his emotions when he spoke of the weight that this case represented for him. “I did things honestly and very sincerely. I offered to accompany him to succeed in taking over the company because I was concerned about its future and its employees. This affair has been going on for 10 years and each day I think about it, I never did my mourning”he confides.
The hearing began shortly after 1:30 p.m. and lasted three hours. The court found Bernard Gnecchi not guilty, and the civil party cannot appeal the decision.