Altice, the parent company of SFR, has suspended a manager in France as part of an internal investigation into the corruption scandal that led to the indictment of the co-founder of the telecommunications group in Portugal, union sources said on Wednesday. During a Socio-Economic Commission (CSE), Arthur Dreyfus, CEO of Altice France, reported the suspension of Tatiana Agova Prego, the Group's Executive Director of Content, Acquisitions and Partnerships, implicated in the eavesdropping on Portuguese justice, these sources explained.
Portuguese media reported that she was to benefit from luxury gifts and property in the Paris region from Armando Pereira, the businessman at the heart of the scandal that prompted investigators to conduct a series of searches, particularly at the Altice headquarters in Lisbon.
Many leaders were suspended
Armando Pereira co-founded Altice with French billionaire Patrick Drahi, and for a year was an advisor to the CEO and Executive Committee of Altice France. He is particularly accused of creating a network of questionable suppliers, at the heart of the group's procurement policy, through which he allegedly obtained several million euros.
Since July 13 and the revelation of an inspection at Altice's Portuguese headquarters, the case has hit the entire group, leading to the suspension of several executives, including the chairman and purchasing director of Altice USA. It is possible that other measures will be taken in France “in the coming days or weeks,” as Arthur Dreyfus announced during the CSE conference, without it being, in his words, a “witch hunt.”
He was tried along with four other people and placed under house arrest. In this case, Armando Pereira is suspected of committing eleven crimes of corruption and money laundering. Through his lawyer, he refuted the suspicions surrounding him. For his part, Patrick Drahi plans to deliver a speech on August 7 and 8, on the occasion of the half-year results of Altice France and Altice International.
