The interim period begins cautiously. Accordingly Media sectionAgnès Firmin Le Bodo, just appointed head of the Ministry of Health, received gifts worth an estimated 20,000 euros from Urgo-Labors as a pharmacist. The minister was promoted on Wednesday after the resignation of Aurélien Rousseau due to disagreement over immigration law, “Subject to a judicial investigation launched in June 2023 into accepting gifts without declaring them”, written, Thursday, December 21st, the online information site.
Asked about this issue on Friday morning, the minister confirmed at the microphone of France Bleu Normandie “that, within the framework of [s]Acting as a pharmacist actually performs an examination [la concernant] is in progress “. “Allow me to reserve the discussions that I should have with the relevant authorities in the next few days”, She continued without giving further details.
On Thursday evening, Le Havre prosecutor Bruno Dieudonné confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that an investigation had been opened “on the allegation of “unauthorized enjoyment by a medical professional of the benefits of a person producing or marketing health products”, as an extension of the case that led to the conviction of Urgo Laboratories by the Dijon Correctional Court in January 2023 ».
“Watches, bottles of wine and magnums of champagne…”
“The secrecy surrounding the investigation prevents me from communicating further, particularly about the identity of the pharmacists affected by this investigation. Six of them received bonuses totaling more than 12,000 euros between the end of 2015 and the end of 2020.”, the judge added. When asked by AFP, the minister’s entourage had already informed him that he would respond “only to the responsible authorities”.
Pharmacist by profession, MMe Firmin Le Bodo, who runs a pharmacy in Le Havre (Seine-Maritime), “is suspected of having delivered luxury products 21 times from 2015 to 2020 – watches, bottles of wine and magnums of champagne, boxes for weekends, etc. – with a total value of an estimated 20,000 euros from Urgo Laboratories »accordingly Media section. “Urgo therefore tried to retain pharmacists and increase their trading margins.”continues Media section.
In January 2023, Urgo Laboratories was fined 1,125,000 euros (of which 625,000 suspended) for offering gifts to pharmacists in return for foregoing commercial discounts. These practices constitute a violation of the so-called “anti-gift” law. Adopted in 1993.
Accordingly Media section, “a second part of the affair” began, with justice taking an interest in all pharmacists who received gifts. In Normandy, the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Anti-Fraud (DGCCRF) is processing around forty dossiers. “The easiest cases (less than 1,000 euros bonus) are classified. While the other files give rise to an investigation in June 2023.”explains the newspaper, according to which MMe Firmin Le Bodo figure “Among the biggest alleged beneficiaries”.
