Jacques Dallest, a former prosecutor from Ajaccio (Corse-du-Sud), used to say that in Corsica, “the worst is always certain.” On Wednesday, April 3, a magistrate named Hélène Gerhards was placed in police custody as part of a preliminary investigation initiated on January 25, 2021, by the public prosecutor’s office in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) to shed light on her ties to the Corsican underworld. This information was revealed by the Agence France-Presse and the Médiapart website. Gerhards served as an investigating judge in Corsica from 2010 to 2016, then as deputy prosecutor in Toulouse before joining the court of appeal in Agen in 2021. Her name came up in connection with investigations by the specialized interregional jurisdiction (JIRS) in Marseille concerning the Ajaccian mafia group known as the Petit Bar.
The investigation into Gerhard’s connections to the Petit Bar has led police to focus on her relationship with Johann Carta, described by the justice system as the “steward of the Petit Bar” responsible for managing the interests of the mafia group in the region. Police are particularly interested in her interactions with Carta and others, such as Majdi Amhan, a doctor in Ajaccio involved in real estate, and Christophe F., a tax lawyer. The police discovered Gerhards’ name by monitoring Carta’s phone conversations and those of his associates. Conversations revealed that Amhan was dining with Gerhards in Porticcio and that she was allegedly going to write a report for him, suggesting a close relationship between Gerhards and individuals associated with organized crime.
Gerhards is also facing allegations of “money laundering of tax fraud,” “hidden work in an organized group,” and “influence peddling” in relation to the management of a large villa she owned in the bay of Ajaccio. The luxury property, which she only declared as a house and a garage to the tax authorities, featured ten rooms, a garden, a pool, a spa, and a pool house. Despite claiming to be single and a resident of Corsica with three children, Gerhards actually lives with her partner in Agen, raising questions about the accuracy of her financial and personal disclosures. Police are investigating the construction work done on the property, the involvement of Gerhard’s ex-husband in some projects, and the role of companies linked to Carta and Amhan in providing services for the villa.
Further scrutiny by the police has revealed potential improprieties related to the construction and maintenance of Gerhard’s villa, including the absence of invoices for certain works and suspicions of free contributions from companies associated with the mafia group. One such company, AK BTP Construction, headed by Khalid Azhour, is believed to have supplied meat for barbecues at events hosted at Gerhard’s property. The ongoing investigation into Gerhard’s affairs highlights the complex web of relationships and activities linking her to individuals involved in organized crime in Corsica. The outcome of the investigation will shed light on the extent of Gerhard’s involvement in illicit activities and her connections to criminal networks.
