Three members of the board of directors pushed out after the discovery of a misappropriation of 15 million by an employee of the purchasing department. Laurent Levaux who had no operational power considers himself unfairly treated.
Par Eric Renette
Lhe case of embezzlement of around 15 million euros at FN Herstal by a former employee of the purchasing department continues to make waves. The Walloon Region, 100% shareholder of the arms factory, via its economic tool Wallonie Entreprendre, decided on Wednesday to “invite” three members of the current board of directors to resign: Philippe Claessens the former CEO of the FN who was responsible at the time, the chairman of the Board of Directors Jean-Sébastien Belle and the chairman of the audit committee Laurent Levaux.
Misappropriation of 15 million euros at FN Herstal: three directors invited to resign
The first two quickly resigned. Laurent Levaux, for his part, who was found in particular within the reorganization of Nethys, considers that the request for resignation which concerns him is totally undeserved: he was not in any operational position, he reorganized the audit, pushed to “improve the control and functioning of the company’s bodies”, which in particular made it possible to discover the fraud which was spread over many years. He refused to resign on a decision he finds unfair and, on Thursday, he proposed a more honorable exit that is more compatible with his profile as an entrepreneur. For him, a resignation would cast a shadow on his reputation and his integrity, as well as on the companies in which he is still active. A proposal was therefore made that he withdraw from the audit committee at its next meeting, on February 13, but remain a director. Wallonie Entreprendre did not follow him and decided to ratify his resignation, voluntary or not, “on February 13, 2023, following an Audit Committee meeting organized in the presence of representatives of the Board of Directors of Wallonia Undertake (WE)”.