Former top Macron aide held economic ties with Putin’s Russia, police found

French police found that Alexandre Benalla, a former top aide to Emmanuel Macron, was involved in businesses that struck private security deals with Russian oligarchs and personally benefitted from some of the proceeds – including when he still worked at the Elysée.

The police report, dated Wednesday (14 February) and seen by investigative newsroom Mediapart, confirms that Benalla de facto ran a number of business entities and signed contracts with Russian-affiliated companies worth €7.5 million, €941,000 of which directly benefitted Benalla himself.

“We can legitimately presume that […] Alexandre Benalla used or abused his real or supposed influence to receive, directly or indirectly, benefits and subsidies from [Russian] oligarchs,” the report states.

Benalla joined Macron’s bodyguard team throughout the 2016-17 campaign and went on to become a member of the newly-elected President’s staff.

According to the police report, contractual negotiations started as early as 2017, when Benalla was still a top Macron aide.

The new investigation reveals Benalla could be indicted on counts including misappropriation of public funds, tax fraud, money laundering, and the illegal undertaking of private security jobs.

Prior charges

In July 2018, a video emerged of him dressed in riot police gear molesting two young people taking part in traditional 1 May demonstrations. The revelations by Le Monde made national headlines, and Benalla, by then almost a household name, was asked to resign.

In September 2023, Benalla was found guilty of undue violence for the 1-May protests and given a three-year sentence (two of which were part of a suspended sentence). He was also found guilty of illegal use of diplomatic passports that he had not rescinded after leaving the Elysée, lying under oath, and illegal gun carry.

For years, both the judiciary and investigative news outlets have also been trying to shed light on Benalla’s business ventures, especially with Russian oligarchs Iskander Makhmudov, an Uzbek-born Russian businessman known to be Vladimir Putin’s “economic soldier” in the intelligence world, and Farkhad Akhmedov.

French courts have not yet ruled on the matter, and Benalla has denied the accusations to date.

[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]

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