Philippe Douste-Blazy, a former French minister, is suspected of illegally buying two Porsche cars in Andorra.

According to a Mediapart investigation released Tuesday, former Toulouse mayor Philippe Douste-Blazy is accused of acquiring two Porsches through a clandestine purchasing method from a shop in Andorra, the tax haven.

According to reports, the former minister (of Culture, Health, and Foreign Affairs) took use of a clandestine purchase method that allowed him to avoid paying VAT and the environmental penalty.

The vehicle salesperson was detained at his house on March 18 and accused of money laundering, tax fraud, and forgery, according to the investigative website.

The businessman offered to acquire premium automobiles through two Andorra-based firms. The vehicles were registered in the principality but registered in France.

According to Mediapart, Philippe Douste-Blazy allegedly purchased his first Porsche from the dealership, worth €151,666, through a salesperson in Haute-Garonne, but in the name of a company based in Andorra.

As a reminder, the principality has one of the most attractive VAT rates in Europe (4.5% compared to 20% in France), which reportedly allowed the former elected official to save more than €23,000 on the purchase of the sedan.

Then, Philippe Douste-Blazy allegedly purchased a second Porsche in 2023, valued at €235,000, using the same process. Interviewed by Mediapart, the person concerned explained that he had “nothing to say about it. ” “Write what you want,” he added, later assuring that the case had been “regularised”, without providing further details.

This former cardiologist and president of the Toulouse Cancer Santé Foundation has consistently shown his support for Emmanuel Macron since his first election in 2017.

In an interview with Le Parisien on Wednesday, Philippe Douste-Blazy’s attorney Pierre Debuisson condemned “slanderous remarks” against him that “are clearly distorted from the truth.” “An article published yesterday in Mediapart tends to accuse me of acquiring two Porsches in Andorra, wrongly stating that I am still active in politics – which has not been the case for 18 years – and worse, suggesting that these acquisitions could have been made under unusual conditions,” says the former minister.

“I don’t see why I would apologise for having earned money honestly. I have always lived with absolute integrity. And today I am happy to finally be able, at 72 years old, to treat myself,” Philippe Douste-Blazy defends himself, saying he “refutes any accusation aimed at insinuating that these acquisitions had any fraudulent origins.” “Everything is transparent. Everything is clear. Paid for with my money,” he insists.