French culture minister to be tried for corruption, abuse of power: Reports
Rachida Dati accused of accepting over $1M in legal fees in 2010-2012 from Netherlands-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan while serving as member of European Parliament

LONDON
France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati will go on trial for corruption and abuse of power, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday.
Dati, 59, was charged in 2019 on suspicion of lobbying for the Renault-Nissan group while serving as a member of the European Parliament. She is scheduled to stand trial on Sept. 29, French broadcaster BFMTV reported, citing judicial sources.
The French politician, who has served as culture minister since January, denies the allegations.
She is accused of accepting €900,000 (over $1 million) in legal fees between 2010 and 2012 from a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan while serving as an MEP from 2009 to 2019.
According to the report, investigators have sought to determine whether Dati was engaged in lobbying activities on behalf of the carmaker, which would violate EU rules prohibiting paid lobbying by sitting MEPs.
Olivier Pardo, one of Dati's lawyers, told BFMTV that they would appeal the decision.
Meanwhile, French judicial authorities also ordered former Renault-Nissan executive Carlos Ghosn, 71, to stand trial.
Ghosn, who has been living in Lebanon for years, has also denied the charges against him.