Elysee Palace Secretary-General Kole and Prime Minister Philip at the Presidential Palace in June. (Photo source: AFP)
[European Times Zhou Wenyi translated] According to AFP on August 7, MEDIAPART website released two documents revealing that Elysee Palace Secretary-General ALEXIS KOHLER approved some contracts between the MSC Group and the Port of Le Havre in 2010 and 2011 in the name of members of the supervisory board of the LE HAVRE port group. Since the founder and leader of the MSC Group are cousins of Cole's mother, Cole faces new allegations of conflict of interest.
MEDIAPART website has previously revealed that Kolai has a close family and professional relationship with MSC International Maritime Tourism Group. He has attended the board meeting of the STX public shipyard in Saint-NAZAIRE, France as a national representative since 2010. MSC Group is a major customer of STX shipyard. In August 2016, Kolai joined MSC Group to become the financial manager of the group.
The National Anti-Corruption Finance and Financial Procuratorate (PNF) launched an investigation into the suspected conflict of interest of Kolai based on revelations. The goal was to verify that "civil servants have indeed complied with the regulations that civil servants should comply with." Cole claimed that when he came into contact with the MSC case as a senior civil servant, he "telled his boss all the time and told him that he might be in a conflict of interest" and that he "had always avoided such a situation."
MEDIAPART website released two records of the Supervisory Board of the Le Havre Ocean Harbor Group (GPMH) on the 7th, opening up another battlefield.
It is reported that Kolai served as the representative of the State Holdings Administration (APE) from 2010 to 2012. He attended the Supervisory Board together with the then Mayor of Le Havre and current Prime Minister Philip. During the two meetings in September 2010 and 2011, Cole spoke and voted in favor of future cooperation contracts between the Port of Le Havre Group and MSC Normandy Port Station Company (TNMSC, a French subsidiary of MSC), which involved the use and expansion of the Port of Le Havre.
MEDIAPART website pointed out that some former supervisors of the Supervisory Board "have no idea about the family connection between Kolai and MSC Group. They were only surprised when they learned about Kolai's relationship with MSC Group recently." The website has requested the Administrative Document Management Committee (CADA) to provide documents on the property interest declaration when Kohlet was appointed as the supervisor of the Port of Le Havre.
When AFP asked the Elysee Palace for confirmation, the Elysee Palace replied, "Because the case is under investigation, there is no wish to make any comments."
Elysee Palace responded in May: "In the internal work and discussions about the MSC, Cole has never been in a decision-making position, nor has he been in a situation of expressing his personal opinions. This is the case now and in the future."
After the Anti-Corruption Association submitted a complaint of "illegal acquisition of benefits" and "bribery" to the National Anti-Corruption Finance Procuratorate on June 4, the Procuratorate launched an investigation into Kolai, and two days later, it carried out a search in the Ministry of Finance building.
Kole is 44 years old and has served in the State Holdings Administration. He was later appointed Deputy Director of the General Office of Finance Minister Moskovic (2012-2014), and then served as Director of the General Office of the Minister during his tenure as Minister of Economic Affairs (2014-2016). He once wanted to join the MSC Group twice. In August 2016, after Macron resigned as Minister of Economic Affairs, Kolai joined MSC Group and became the financial manager of the group. In this position, he became a general on Macron's team for president.
In March 2017, Kolai was in the meeting to acquire France's STX shipyard as an executive of the MSC Group at the Ministry of Finance, which was facing the threat of bankruptcy. In the end, STX shipyard merged with its Italian FINCANTIERI peers. Although MSC Group wanted to get involved in STX, it failed to become a shareholder of STX.
Kolai left MSC nine months after joining the MSC group, followed Macron and became the Secretary-General of the Presidential Office. This is a key position in the operation of the country, like the control tower of an airport.
