The scandal was first revealed on March 18 by satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchain, at that time without formally linking the hacking of Greenpeace computers to EDF top management.
The Canard Enchaine piece focused on an intelligence company, Kargus Consultants. The CEO of Kargus, a former French secret services agent, had been charged by French justice, along with one of his team members, for hacking Greenpeace computers. What was not known then was that Kargus Consultants is in a contract with the EDF for obtaining intelligence data on European nuclear energy opponents.
An investigative report published by the website Mediapart on March 31 reveals that Pierre François, a former policeman promoted to assistant-head of security in EDF, was charged by French justice for spying on March 26. The Nanterre city judge in charge of the case accused François of “participating in the illegal intrusion of an information data management system.”
Pascal Durieux, Head of EDF Security Department, has himself since March 31 been an “assisted witness”—a status, usually transitional under French law, between being a simple witness and being formally charged.
Durieux and François’s defense lawyers claim that the two executives never required, nor were aware, that Kargus Consultants would use illegal means of intelligence. On its side, EDF did confirm that French justice had seized some EDF internal files and announced it would file a complaint against Kargus Consultants to “be indemnified of the harm made by Kargus.”
The EDF Group is a major player in the European energy industry. As a leader in the French electricity market, EDF has the premier generation fleet and customer portfolio, and is the leading network operator in Europe.
Greenpeace, an organization active in opposing the construction of nuclear power plants, made headlines in 2006 by publishing classified files indicating that the 3rd generation EPR nuclear plant then being constructed in two separate locations in France—as well as in other places abroad—suffered major security problems that could be exploited during terrorist attacks.
For Pascal Husting, General Manager of Greenpeace France, “This case is likely only the tip of the iceberg. Being treated like terrorists because we dare to challenge the French energy model shows clearly how unable the nuclear camp is to accept transparency and democratic debate!”
In a previous 1985 scandal, the French government had ordered sabotage of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand at a time when the activist group was trying to prevent nuclear tests in the region.
The operation killed a Greenpeace activist, and forced the French government to pay the association more than US$ 10 million in compensation.
