'Rafale Papers': how France's anti-corruption agency covered up for aviation firm Dassault
France's anti-corruption watchdog wrote a damning report after a lengthy inspection of French defence and aviation company Dassault. The report from the Agence Française Anticorruption highlighted five breaches of the law and signs of possible corruption in the firm's dealings in India, where it sold 36 Rafale fighter jets for 7.8 billion euros. Yet as Yann Philippin reports, the agency did not propose any punishment and nor did it alert French prosecutors to its findings.
AtAt the end of August 2019 an explosive document landed on the desk of Éric Trappier, boss of high-profile French company Dassault Aviation. It was the report of an inspection carried out the previous year by the Agence Française Anticorruption (AFA), the French watchdog that ensures large companies respect their legal obligations in fighting corruption under the so-called Sapin 2 law of 2017.
