The fire is still smoldering within the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF). On Tuesday, March 28, the president of the umbrella institution of the French sports movement, Brigitte Henriques, explained that she had asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to carry out an audit in an attempt to “put an end” to the cabal which she considers herself to be. victim for months.
Four months after the return to business of the former vice-president of the French Football Federation who, exhausted, had to take an eight-week break, the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of the CNOSF on Tuesday evening in the presence of the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa -Castéra and the boss of the Paris Olympics organizing committee Tony Estanguet, were to be an opportunity for the institution to show a face of rediscovered unity.
But the house of French sport presents more cracks than ever. Former President Denis Masseglia (2009-2021), as well as Guy Drut, one of the three French members of the IOC, and three other former administrators, have indeed refused to participate in the festivities. “The witnesses that we are, not having been called to testify beforehand, will not be the witnesses of an operation which is much more about communication than about the story in which they were actors”, they wrote in a letter addressed to the presidents of federations. “Denis and Guy were however well invited”, assures Brigitte Henriques.
“Enough stink bombs”
This new mark of mistrust demonstrates that the crisis, which began more than a year ago following the conflict between the president and her former secretary general Didier Séminet, dismissed from office on September 12, 2022, is still active. Two weeks ago, the publication of the report of two administrators who had access to the CNOSF’s ledger of accounts added fuel to the fire, detailing the amounts committed by the body – between 50,000 and 60,000 euros in lawyers’ fees and communications agency fees – for the dismissal of the former secretary general.
Didier Séminet was surprised in the process, in a letter addressed to the administrators, that the theft of a bank card intended for the president with which 2,000 euros had been disbursed was not mentioned.
“The stink bombs are enough, this cabal is frankly unbearable”, answers Brigitte Henriques, who, following an internal audit launched last summer, had to reimburse nearly 4,000 euros in costs to the CNOSF, consisting of notes taxis, double billing errors or expenses for which supporting documents were missing.
The President met last week two French members of the IOC, David Lappartient and Jean-Christophe Rolland. “They need to know” that the CNOSF is running well, “that there is serenity,” she explained. “I decided to take the CIO to do an internal audit, and make this all stop. The idea is for the dialogue to resume within the CNOSF, ”explains Brigitte Henriques.
The next board meeting is scheduled for April 12. It already looks extremely tense.
