Former French spy chief Bernard Squarcini is accused of illegally collecting information on private individuals and violating privacy laws. PARIS - LVMH Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault told a Paris court on Nov 28 he did not know about allegedly illegal surveillance ordered by a trusted associate almost a decade ago, as he testified at the trial of a former French spy chief. Bernard Squarcini, who headed France’s domestic security services from 2008 to 2012, was later hired by luxury goods giant LVMH as a security consultant.
He is accused of illegally collecting information on private individuals and violating privacy laws while helping the company fight counterfeits and monitor left-wing activists planning to target the company with protests. Lawyers for Squarcini said he would plead not guilty. Mr Arnault, one of the world’s richest people, is not accused of any wrongdoing in the trial.
LVMH paid a 10 million euro (S$14.2 million) settlement in 2021 to close a criminal probe into the company’s role in the case. But the case has cast light on the lengths to which the company has allegedly gone to protect its image.
LVMH declined to comment on the case and Mr Arnault’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. Replying to prosecution questions on Nov 28, Mr Arnault said he was unaware of actions taken by Mr Pierre Gode, his longtime right-hand man at LVMH who died in 2018. He has previously said that Mr Gode hired Squarcini.
“It’s not for me to judge what.
