Paris: The new elected President of the „Grande Nation“, Nicolas Sarkozy, denied some days ago that his woopie host Vincent Bolloré – owner of the the Paloma yacht where Sarkozy was relaxing – had benefitted from government funds and assignments.
He lied about this to beat the band.According to researches by AFP, the companies of Vincent (the big Bolloré) recieved not only a contract worth millions from the Department of Defense but have also recieved business orders from the Ministry Interior and the Foreign Office.
Thereupon the thankful richie Bolloré paid „Mr.State himself“, Sarkozy the Great, a flight and the luxury holiday on his boat.
„Journal officiel“ reports, that the Bolloré company SDV received a two-year contract over 36 million Euro from the Department of Defense in France for air cargo services in 2005. SDV also received a two-year contract over 1.4 to 5.6 million Euro by the Foreign Office for similar services in 2006 (1).
Nicolas Sarkozy was the Interior Minister at that time. His ministry also gave the industrialist a construction contract for the upgrading of a police building in Grenoble, Bolloré also supplied official authorities with heating oil.
Bolloré´s TV company is making 25% per cent of their sellings with state owned broadcasters as well.
On Wednesday Vincent Bolloré had declared, his company „never had any business contacts with the French state“.
On the other hand Sarkozy called Bolloré „a great French industrialist“, who „never worked together with the state“.
Well – at least there is some truth in his words. Depends on what people think a state should be.
(1)
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/,tt3m2/ausland/artikel/766/113653/