The Nanterre public prosecutor’s office informed Agence France-Presse (AFP), Thursday, August 3, that it had opened, at the beginning of June, a judicial investigation for rape and domestic violence targeting the CEO of Casino, Jean-Charles Naouri. “The investigating judge will investigate to see if there are new elements” after the filing of a complaint with a civil party in October 2022 by the wife of the CEO, with whom he was then in the process of divorcing , added the prosecution. A first complaint had been dismissed because “the offense” had not been “sufficiently characterized”.
In his October 2022 complaint, which AFP was able to consult, the victim accuses Mr. Naouri, now 74, of having committed marital rape during a stay in the south of France in July. 2020. She also explains that she was the subject of psychological violence including “insults, humiliations, belittlements” and describes “isolation” accompanied by “economic control”. The opening of this investigation “is good news” for the victim, his lawyer, Emmanuel Asmar, told AFP, who declined to comment further.
“After the dismissal of his first complaint dating from February 2022, following the divorce proceedings initiated by Mr. Naouri, his wife used this last resort which led us to oppose him with a complaint for slanderous denunciation. His complaint with the constitution of a civil party automatically leading to the opening of a judicial investigation, we have been waiting for him calmly since the end of 2022, “commented Jean-Charles Naouri’s lawyer Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard to Le Monde.
The image of Jean-Charles Naouri is largely tarnished by the end of his announced reign at the head of Casino. He is indeed on the verge of losing control of the group and his position, with the takeover planned by the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky (indirect shareholder of Le Monde). Casino, whose debt is very high, was overtaken by a commercial and stock market tumble. The group is also targeted in several legal proceedings.
Announced on July 28, the financial restructuring agreement in principle concluded between the distributor Casino, its buyers the billionaires Daniel Kretinsky, Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière and the Attestor fund, and its key creditors is “a strong legal promise”, judged Mr. Naouri in an interview published by Le Point, Wednesday.
“I put all my energy” so that Casino, whose “financial situation was compromised two, three months ago, is no longer in this position. I am proud of myself. It was not won,” he said. He believes that with this agreement “the assets of the group, the stores and the teams are not affected”. “I’m happy with it and I think I did my duty,” he said.