Former French minister and scandal-ridden tycoon Bernard Tapie, the previous proprietor of Adidas, was attacked alongside along with his spouse throughout a night-time housebreaking of their dwelling, police stated Sunday. The couple have been asleep when 4 males broke into their home in Combs-la-Ville close to Paris round 00:30 AM (2230 GMT Saturday) on Sunday, beat them and tied them up with electrical cords earlier than making off with their loot.
Dominique Tapie managed to free herself and made her option to a neighbour’s dwelling, the place she was capable of name the police. Slightly injured from a number of blows to the face, she was taken to hospital for a check-up however was anticipated to be launched rapidly.
“She is doing well,” Tapie’s grandson Rodolphe Tapie informed AFP.
Jewellery and a Rolex
Tapie himself, who’s 78, acquired a blow to the top with a membership, prosecutor Beatrice Angelelli informed AFP, however he declined to be taken into medial care. “My grandfather refused to be taken away,” Rodolphe Tapie stated. “He is shattered, very tired. He was sitting on a chair when he was hit with a club.”
The burglars made off with two watches, together with a Rolex, earrings, bracelets and a hoop, in keeping with a supply near the investigation.
Tapie is a former Socialist minister who rose from humble beginnings to construct a sporting and media empire, however later confronted a string of authorized issues.
He made a fortune within the early a part of his profession by taking up failing corporations with allegedly doubtful strategies, and usually flaunted his wealth, together with by shopping for a 72-metre yacht and a soccer membership, Olympique de Marseille, who gained the French championship whereas he was their proprietor.
He has additionally been beneath suspicion of match-fixing in France’s prime soccer league.
He was briefly minister for city affairs in Francois Mitterrand’s authorities in 1992.
Many authorized troubles
Tapie was discovered responsible in a string of circumstances for corruption, tax fraud and misuse of company belongings, went to jail for 5 months and was stripped of the suitable to face in any election in France. After his launch from jail in 1997, Tapie added showbiz to his varied actions, making an attempt his hand at appearing and internet hosting radio and TV exhibits.
In 2012 he additionally turned a media boss, taking up southern French day by day La Provence and different newspapers.
One fraud case has dogged Tapie for many years, involving a massively controversial settlement value 400 million euros ($470 million at present charges) awarded to him by a authorities arbitration panel, the dimensions of which despatched shockwaves via France.
The panel judged he had been the sufferer of fraud when he offered his stake within the Adidas sports activities attire firm in 1993 to state-run French financial institution Credit Lyonnais, which was discovered to have undervalued the sportswear model.
‘Determined’ to face trial
The case additionally ensnared then-finance minister Christine Lagarde, who now runs the European Central Bank. She was discovered responsible of “negligence” within the case. Lagarde’s dealing with of the case sparked suspicion that her former boss Nicolas Sarkozy, whom Tapie had backed for president in 2007, was favourably disposed in direction of the businessman — allegations Sarkozy has vehemently denied.
Last autumn, Tapie’s fraud trial was postponed for causes of ailing well being as a result of he was struggling a double abdomen most cancers and most cancers of the oesophagus which have been getting worse.
The trial is because of resume in May, with Tapie “determined” to be current, in keeping with his lawyer. Police are treating Sunday’s incident as a violent theft and kidnapping, a supply near the investigation informed AFP.
