Overview
- On Monday June 1 the tribunal correctionnel de Marseille convicted Pascal Galéoté and Bernard Cristalli of abuse of trust and sentenced each to 12 months of prison with suspension, three years of ineligibility for elected workplace posts, and fines of €5,000 and €3,000 respectively.
- Judges concluded about €264,833 was misused from the Comité social et économique budget for 2014–2018, including nearly €98,000 in restaurant bills and purchases of 12 computers, 14 mobile phones, tablets, speakers and other items.
- The prosecution relied on a February 2020 Cour des comptes audit that flagged weak controls and numerous anomalous expenditures, a finding that led to formal investigation and the April trial.
- Defense counsel announced an appeal and said there is no provisional execution of the judgment, which means the criminal penalties and ineligibility are not yet applied while the case moves to a higher court.
- The court described the scheme as an assault on workplace democracy, about 100 CGT supporters demonstrated outside the courthouse, and port management has not publicly joined civil proceedings, leaving wider administrative responses unresolved.