Overview
- The trial has drawn intense attention this week with prosecutors from the Parquet national financier accusing Rachida Dati of corruption and illegal lobbying for Renault‑Nissan while she served as a Member of the European Parliament.
- Prosecutors showed material seized in Renault searches, including a pouch with an amended European Commission working paper labeled as coming from Dati, which they say supports the claim she lobbied rather than provided legal advice.
- Dati rejects the charges and says she acted only as a lawyer for Carlos Ghosn and Renault‑Nissan, denying she passed confidential documents or lied to the European Parliament's ethics committee.
- Courtroom exchanges grew heated on Thursday when parties civil, including Renault’s lawyers, accused Dati of intimidation and tactical attacks, prompting the presiding judge to suspend the hearing to restore calm.
- The trial continues with prosecutors’ final requisitions and the defense’s closing pleas scheduled next, and a conviction would hinge on the legal distinction between permitted counsel work and banned lobbying by an elected MEP.