TotalEnergies CEO Pouyanné subject of preliminary conflict of interest probe, Le Monde says

Patrick Pouyanné, chief executive of France's TotalEnergies, is the subject of a preliminary probe opened by French financial prosecutor's office after a complaint alleging he abused his role on the board of a university to push the company's agenda, Le Monde newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Patrick Pouyanné, chief executive of France's TotalEnergies, is the subject of a preliminary probe opened by the French financial prosecutor's office after a complaint alleging he abused his role on the board of a university to push the company's agenda, Le Monde newspaper reported on Wednesday. The complaint was filed at the end of April by the French arm of Greenpeace, as well as by anti-corruption group ANTICOR, and an association called La Sphinx, which says it represents students and alumni of the university.

The board of the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique voted in 2020 to allow TotalEnergies to build a research and innovation center on the university's campus in Saclay, south of Paris. The complaint alleged that Pouyanné used his position on the university's board to influence that decision.

The prosecutor's office did not reply to a Reuters request for comment. TotalEnergies said it would state Pouyanne soon, without giving a precise timeframe.

In an earlier statement, Totalenergies said Pouyanne had never taken part in decisions by the university board concerning the company and he had recused himself when the topic came up. TotalEnergies, along with other major energy producers, has been under scrutiny from green groups that say the industry is adding to climate change by promoting the use of carbon dioxide-emitting fossil fuels.