Marseille staff sergeant tried for trafficking in police information
An investigator with the Marseille anti-narcotics office is facing trial for unlawfully accessing files and providing data to civilians. The court is examining allegations of favouritism and misuse of database access.
Ofast investigator prosecuted for irregular file access
According to nicematin.com, a staff sergeant with the anti-narcotics office (Ofast) in Marseille, aged 49, appeared in court for divulging information obtained through irregular access to administrative and judicial files. The Brigade for search and intervention (BRI) referred the matter to prosecutors in March 2025 after discovering his links with the manager of a nightclub.
The investigator had consulted the vehicle registration system and the file containing criminal records to provide the name, criminal profile and address of a man who had followed the manager armed and hooded. According to BRI's conclusions, the woman had then engaged someone to "settle the matter". Although no criminal act followed, the court questioned this proximity to private justice, describing it as the complete opposite of the existence of police.
In a second case, the officer responded to a request from a nurse he had met during an investigation into drug trafficking. After a dispute with her new partner, she gave the officer this man's name. The investigator immediately provided information about the partner's criminal history, including accusations of domestic violence.
A third incident involved a restaurateur photographing the number plate of a customer who left without paying. The investigator passed on the name and address of the presumed fraudster. No financial flow was detected between the officer and his contacts, ruling out an initial suspicion of corruption.
Justifying his actions, the staff sergeant stated that by performing these minor services, he hoped to create people in his debt who could provide him with information. He cited twenty-six years of service in the police and twelve years in anti-narcotics work, describing himself as a round-the-clock officer. He also cited a request from his superiors to "find sources". The court noted that the nurse and the two establishment managers had never been registered as official informants.
The prosecutor requested eighteen months in prison suspended and a five-year ban from working in the police. His lawyer, Thomas Callen, denounced a witch-hunt conducted by the BRI, whilst the defendant stated he "sincerely regretted" and acknowledged "mistakes". The prosecutor insisted: "We expect an honest police force, exemplary in nature, that exercises its prerogatives within a legal framework". The judgment was adjourned to 30 November.
This case comes within a context of growing concerns about attempted corruption targeting justice and police officers. The Marseille public prosecutor's office established an anti-corruption unit a year ago, tasked with stemming the phenomenon. Between October 2025 and April 2026, this unit took on 31 cases.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)