Seven people have been indicted in recent weeks following the accusations of fraud in the stormy succession of the wealthy producer Claude Berri, who died in 2009, including his son Darius Langmann and the novelist Nathalie Rheims, his last partner, learned the agency France-Presse (AFP), Friday, March 14, of sources close to the file.
After years of denunciations from the other son of the filmmaker, producer Thomas Langmann, who considered himself injured, these seven people are indicted in an open judicial information in particular for theft in organized gang, breach of confidence, false and use of false or even money laundering, confirmed the Paris prosecutor’s office to AFP.
According to elements of the investigation which AFP was aware of, Claude Berri, prolific French director and producer, left at his death, in January 2009, an impressive inheritance, valued at 82 million euros, with in particular 800 works of art for around 65 million euros.
The two half-brothers-Thomas, successful producer of the Oscar-winning film The Artistand Darius (a third son of Claude Berri, Julien Rassam, died in 2002) – discussed for several years to share in equal parts.
However, in July 2015, Thomas Langmann attacked his little brother, considering himself injured, mainly because of “Many works of art” would have been hidden and due to“Manifest errors of evaluation” in the 2011 sharing.
Heavy civil procedure
Since then, the case has been the subject of a heavy civil procedure still in progress, while on the criminal information is open in 2019.
In addition to Darius Langmann and Nathalie Rheims are implicated by costume designer Sylvie Gautrelet, second wife of Claude Berri and mother of Darius; a children’s aunt; The art expert and former boss of Sotheby’s France Marc Blondeau; the former producer assistant and one of his drivers.
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Several sources in defense which have agreed to respond anonymously to AFP ensure, however, that the indictments are not up to the spoliation organized to its detriment alleged by Thomas Langmann.
According to one of these sources, only two protagonists, including Darius Langmann, are indicted for organized gang flight, and a third for complicity in this offense.
Solicited, most of the lawyers in the file, including that of Thomas Langmann, did not wish to comment, apart from Christophe Ingrain, who told AFP: “I confirm that my client Nathalie Rheims was only indicted for a tax subject and was not indicted for the facts denounced by Thomas Langmann. »»