Paris 2024 this Tuesday defended the legality of their president’s salary, the former Olympic canoeing champion Tony Estanguetwhile deploring the controversy that arose after publication in the French media that the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office had opened an investigation into it.
“Tony Estanguet’s salary was set in 2018 by the Board of Directors of the Organizing Committee. Tony did not set it. His salary is something that is subject to great control,” Paris 2024 sources indicated.
French media have announced that the Financial Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the salary of the former athlete, the visible face of the Paris Games that open on July 26.
According to this information, Estanguet earns 270,000 fixed annual gross euros, plus a possible 20% in variables, an amount that, according to them, slightly exceeds the salary ceiling of this type of organization.
To avoid this, Estanguet invoiced his salary through a company and not as an employee of the same, they added.
Paris 2024 ensures that this ceiling does not apply to its organization, since it only exists for non-profit associations that do not have commercial activity and, therefore, do not pay taxes.
“We do, we have a certain commercial activity linked to the sale of tickets and the sale of television or sponsorship rights. Therefore, we pay taxes such as VAT. In our case, that ceiling does not apply,” they said. .
As proof of this, they give the case of the salary of Etienne Toubois, general director and number 2 of the committee, which is 260,000 euros and he appears as an employee.
They recognize that Estanguet does not appear as an employee of the Organization Committee, because his position is considered “a mandate” and, therefore, they cannot include him in the payroll.
“In 2018 we asked the social administration and they told us that the only way to do this is for him to charge for his services. And that is how we are doing it,” they added.
The amount of the former athlete’s salary, they insist, was set by a committee of experts and validated by the Board of Directors, with the endorsement of the French tax administration services, they point out.
Although he remains silent for now, Estanguet is pursuing this matter “with silence,” sources said, because he believes “it does not affect him, but rather the social and financial authorities, who endorsed the salary he earned.”
Source: La Verdad
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