At Reno botched espionage scandal trial, Chinese leaders in shadows – Liberation

Starting this Wednesday, January 17, only the younger members of the group will appear in correctional court. They must also answer for the 2011 firing of three executives who were falsely accused of providing information to China. The manufacturer’s staff was spared the action.

“This information does not incriminate the methods of the Renault company in relation to its employees, even if they are questionable, but individual conduct that qualifies under criminal law.”

This extract from the order referring the Directorate General for Protection (DGP), Internal Investigation Unit and two other service providers to the criminal court says it all. The bench of civil parties will be full: five ex-employees, falsely accused of intelligence with China, two house unions and Reno as a legal entity. The hearing, which will begin this Wednesday, will continue till January 26.

In January 2011, the management announced the dismissal of three of its executives: Michel Balthazar, in the highest grade with the title of director of upstream and projects, in charge of the development of future electric cars, but also Mathieu Tanenbaum and Bertrand Rochet. They are subsequently the subject of criminal charges “Communicating Information to a Foreign Power.” During an interview before sacking one of them, Renault’s then No. 2 Patrick Pelata confidently stated: “We found out that you have done serious things (…), this amounts to industrial espionage for the benefit of foreign interests.”