The former head of Equalis, a heavily subsidized French pro-migrant organization, stood trial on Tuesday in Meaux on charges of embezzling public funds and enriching himself with inflated salaries and luxury perks.
As reported by Le Parisien, Arthur Anane, 64, is accused of siphoning off large sums while directing an organization that receives millions in French and European taxpayer money to assist others, many of them foreign nationals.
Anane, alongside two business associates, faces charges stemming from allegations that he embezzled public funds, paid himself nearly €200,000 in 2020 alone, and used association money to rent a €100,000 Audi Q7 and secure other benefits in kind.
He risks a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a €2 million fine.
Equalis, which received more than €85 million in public funds annually — including over €5 million from the European Social Fund (ESF) since 2015 — presents itself as a humanitarian anchor in the Paris region. It offers emergency shelter and social services to over 14,000 people, including migrants, refugees, and stateless persons.
According to its own 2023 report, Equalis provides housing for asylum seekers, supports the integration of recognized refugees, and operates multiple centers across Île-de-France and the Loiret. It manages over 1,400 emergency shelter places and runs 20 programs designed to help migrants integrate through employment. One flagship initiative aims to dismantle shantytowns and integrate the predominantly migrant residents into mainstream society by offering access to schooling, healthcare, and job training.
But the organization’s charitable mission has been questioned following an investigation by France’s Departmental Directorate of Employment, Labour and Solidarity, which found that Equalis paid over €430,000 in 2020 to a human resources firm to recruit senior staff — despite half of those hires leaving within 15 months. One deputy director’s recruitment alone cost the charity €41,000, a sum authorities argue was unjustifiable given the association’s resources.
Investigators also flagged Equalis’ extensive use of a private cleaning company — one that allegedly employed people under social integration programs — despite the charity having its own division dedicated to similar work. The state’s report questions why public funds were used to outsource services Equalis was equipped to handle internally.
The charges prompted French MEP Jean-Paul Garraud, of the Patriots for Europe parliamentary group, to file a formal inquiry with the European Commission in February. Citing the “€11,400 monthly salary, Audi Q7, and housing allowance” granted to Anane, Garraud questioned the Commission on how much EU money Equalis had received and what safeguards existed to prevent abuse.
The Commission’s March response confirmed that Equalis was awarded “€4 million in ESF funds between 2015 and 2022, plus an additional €1.14 million since 2022.” Brussels reiterated that it is the French state’s responsibility to recover any misused EU funds and that the Commission can request corrections if systemic issues are found.
Anane was dismissed by the Equalis board after the scandal surfaced. A new executive director has since taken over, and the association remains operational.
Meanwhile, Anane’s co-defendants — a recruitment firm executive and the head of the cleaning company — are also on trial, though both deny wrongdoing.