Overview
- Monaco judges have formally indicted Thierry Lacoste on charges including organized corruption, influence peddling, money laundering and criminal conspiracy after a police custody period and extensions.
- Investigators allege Lacoste acted as a hidden adviser to developer Groupe Caroli and was paid through result-based fees shown in invoices seized during searches.
- The inquiry centers on the stalled Esplanade des Pêcheurs project and a prior ruling that ordered the state to pay €136 million to Groupe Caroli, matters first raised in a 2023 complaint by developer Patrice Pastor.
- The case has already implicated other senior figures such as former Supreme Court president Didier Linotte and has seen documents and invoices seized as prosecutors trace contacts and payments.
- The probe remains open as authorities continue to map financial flows and meetings that could lead to further charges, and the accused retain the presumption of innocence under Monaco’s judicial process.