The famous audit office, as a legal entity, has been suspected of having guaranteed an action of price cut at the time of Jean-Auguste Icart's firm sale.
A second legal entity was brought before the courts in what is called the Icart's case: Arthur Andersen's office. It follows a complaint Jean-Auguste Icart lodged. He is Fernand Icart's son (Valéry Giscard-d'Estaing's former minister), and CEO of SA Bergeon, specialized in public places' heating system and air conditioning on the French Riviera.
A first legal entity had already been brought before the courts in this case: Dalkia, a subsidiary of the former Générale des Eaux, today called Vivendi. Jean-Auguste Icart who had sold his company to Dalkia in June 1994, to dedicate himself to politics and run for the Nice town council, ended up stripped of his possessions at the end of the sale.
How? The sale price (36 million francs) had been cut to 4 millions, after actions the salesman contests and the famous international audit office had guaranteed. This costs the office (one of the 'big five') to be brought before the courts for having been an accessary to fraud.
The investigation has been conducted by the Grasse judge Jean-Pierre Murciano, and is experimenting a national stir. Libérationhas exposed the facts and Nice-Matintoo.
La Tribunepublished the reactions of Arthur Andersen about the case, on Sept. 27th. The office was surprised to be brought before the courts and declared they were expecting the notification to explain themselves about the affair.