France: Former Mayor of Toulon Hubert Falco Referred Back to Court over Corruption and Nepotism Charges

Hubert Falco, former Mayor of Toulon and former President of the Toulon Provence Méditerranée Metropolis, will stand trial again on December 18, 2026, to face charges related to 'unlawful conflict of interest' and 'embezzlement of public funds'. This new prosecution comes after he was already banned from running for public office for five years following a previous final judicial ruling.

Nepotism and Unjustified Promotions

The new case stems from suspicions of nepotism in favor of Michaël Di Peretti, Falco's stepson, who experienced a rapid and suspicious career advancement starting in 2016; moving from the position of 'driver and mail distributor' to 'territorial technician', and subsequently becoming an employee at the renowned contemporary art center 'Villa Noailles' in the city of Hyères.

The public prosecutor explained in a statement that these 'atypical' promotions, which were accompanied by salary increases, took place 'despite frequent sick leaves, mediocre performance evaluations, and repeated absences from work'. Investigations also indicate that in 2018, the former mayor signed a promotion decision for his stepson's partner within the metropolitan administration, despite her having worked for only '10 months over a period spanning six years and three months' due to successive sick leaves.

Family Members in the Dock

Based on these findings, Michaël Di Peretti will be tried on charges of 'concealment, unlawful conflict of interest, and embezzlement of funds', while his partner will appear before the court facing charges of 'concealment of unlawful conflict of interest'.

Judicial Precedents in the 'Fridge Affair'

It is worth noting that Hubert Falco, a former leader in 'The Republicans' party and later a supporter of President Emmanuel Macron, was convicted in April 2023 to a three-year suspended prison sentence and an immediate five-year ban from holding public office, in the case popularly known as the 'fridge affair'.

That case involved his undue benefit from meals and dry-cleaning services funded by the Var Departmental Council after leaving its presidency, with damages estimated at more than €300,000 between 2002 and 2018 (approximately €1,500 per month). The Court of Cassation definitively upheld this sentence in May 2025 after all appeals were exhausted, resulting in him being permanently stripped of his responsibilities as Mayor of Toulon and President of its metropolitan area.