“Given the ethical risk” and conflicts of interests, the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life(HATVP), has rejected the retraining of Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, the former Minister of Transport, at the shipowner CMA-CGM, announced a press release Tuesday, May 24,.
After being granted permission by the HATVP to serve on the board of directors for a company that builds hydrogen vehicles, the former minister wanted to be the executive vice-president responsible for the CMA-CGM’s space hub. He would have been part of the shipping giant’s executive committee in this capacity.
According to the High Authority, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari’s project, which he was a member of from September 2019 to May 20,22, was deemed “incompatible with his previous functions” due to “substantial ethics risks”. The HATVP believes that the position of Jean-Baptiste Djebbari at the CMA–CGM could pose a danger of “substantial” questioning the “independent, impartial” functioning of the administration, given the files he had to manage (intermodality, civil aviation and satellite applications ports or maritime transport).
HATVP also noted that Jean-Baptiste Djebbari met with eight senior executives from the shipping company. The HATVP argues that there is “a legitimate question as to the conditions in which the minister exercised his government functions, with respect to the ethical principles of the obligation to avoid conflicts of interest which are imposed upon him”.
He also gave the go-ahead to the former minister for the creation of a consulting firm, though under very strict conditions. HATVP warns former LREM deputy in Haute-Vienne about the criminal risk of “illegally taking of interests” when his future consulting firm has a transport sector client.
He must refrain from any contact, including representation of interests with transport administrations or government officials, for a period not less than three years.
Jean-Baptiste Djebbari stated that he was “perfectly tranquil” on May 17, and that he felt no need to go to the private sector following a stint as a government employee, which he had long declared he didn’t want to continue. .
