Gironde: complaint against X after Benoît Bartherotte's illegal firewall

The AC association!! Anti-Corruption filed a complaint against

Benoît Bartherotte, president of the Association for the Defense of the Pointe du Cap-Ferret, the posh peninsula where his four-hectare property is located, publicly took the initiative, on July 23, the day after the fire broke out, to fell pine trees several hundred meters wide to build this area, without prior authorization.

The fire that started in the middle of the day from Saumos then approached the town of Lège-Cap-Ferret, further north. The authorities had evacuated tens of thousands of people from the town of Lège and the peninsula, facing the risk of flames advancing on the only access road to the sector. The 79-year-old businessman, met on July 29 by AFP on "his" project, financed by his association, declared "being in action" in the face of "the emergency", explaining that he had used his networks "up to Brigitte Macron", to obtain authorization a posteriori.

In his complaint, AC!! Anti-Corruption points to a project started illegally, on land which partly belonged to the municipality and the National Forestry Office (ONF). It was suspended on July 26 at the request of the town hall, before resuming two days later after "discussions with the authorities", adds the anti-corruption association.

The organization is calling for an investigation into "possible environmental and forestry infractions" and into "the exact conditions in which certain public authorities were able to allow or facilitate" the continuation of the construction site.

“Through his association, he first protected his property, not nature,” criticizes Jean-Pierre Steiner, former police commissioner, member of AC!! Anti-Corruption. He believes that the businessman "exempted himself" from compliance with the rules and then "twisted the arm" of the authorities to authorize a work carried out "without any upstream coordination".

Contacted by AFP, Benoît Bartherotte does not deny having acted without initial authorization, but explains having done so "in substitution for the failure of the public force".