Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, is scheduled to testify on the morning of November 28, 2024, in a case involving former domestic intelligence chief Bernard Squarcini. Squarcini is accused of leveraging his connections to obtain confidential information and privileges for the luxury group.
Arnault was summoned by lawyers representing François Ruffin, a civil party in the case, to discuss surveillance operations conducted between 2013 and 2016 against the newspaper Fakir and Ruffin, who has since become a deputy.
At that time, Ruffin was filming 'Merci Patron,' a satirical documentary on the luxury leader that won the César Award for Best Documentary in 2017. The film raised concerns within LVMH due to its potential to disrupt the multinational's general meetings.
Arnault's lawyer, Me Jacqueline Laffont, stated that her client would reserve his testimony for the court and declined to provide further comments. While Arnault has been questioned by investigating judges, neither he nor LVMH has been charged alongside Squarcini and nine other defendants.
In late 2021, LVMH negotiated a public interest judicial agreement (CJIP) with prosecutors, paying a €10 million fine to avoid prosecution.
Ruffin has contested this agreement, bringing his case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which deemed his request inadmissible in May 2023.
On the eve of the trial, Ruffin and his lawyers criticized the proceedings as 'a trial amputated of its head,' lacking the 'order giver' in the surveillance case.
Simultaneously, Ruffin has filed a civil lawsuit against the luxury giant, seeking a symbolic euro.
Following Arnault's testimony, civil parties will present their arguments, followed by the public prosecutor's requisitions. The trial is expected to conclude on Friday with the defense's closing statements.