
“The signatures of two mayors were usurped in the file, it is extremely serious.” Baptiste de Fresse de Monval, lawyer at the Paris bar, represents the mayors of Baugy and of Markéglise two municipalities concerned by the implementation of lagoons storage of digestate (organic and/or plant waste) on the territory of the Country of Springs. A highly contested project (a collective of opponents was created) carried by the Métha-Oise company which operates the Braisnes-sur-Aronde methanizer. Reports to the prefect and the public prosecutor were made.
Documents discovered by chance
“My clients, Guillaume Pinel, mayor of Marquéglise and Jean-Claude Darcy, mayor of Baugy, discovered while searching for information on the file that their signature had been affixed to documents even though they never signed them,” s ‘outrages their lawyer. For Baptiste de Fresse de Monval, there is no possible doubt: “These are crude forgeries, with very approximate headings, signed on dates which do not correspond to their schedules, the signatures themselves are very poorly imitated”, he explains. These two documents also bear the stamps of the two town halls.
The two letters at the heart of the dispute were annexed to the application for registration with the prefecture of the Braisnes-sur-Aronde methanization project filed in May 2024 and amended in July of the same year. The documents in question, entitled “mayor’s opinions” are not recent, since they are dated August 2023. In these two “opinions”, the mayors of the municipalities give a favorable opinion on the project (see documents below).
“When they realized, almost by chance, these two forgeries last month, they contacted me and a report was immediately made, in accordance with the obligations imposed by law, to the sub-prefect and the Prosecutor of the Republic,” explains the lawyer. There was no question of letting it go: “It’s much too serious. The mayors are on the one hand opposed to the project, but that is not even the first problem here: you simply cannot imitate someone’s signature, especially that of a mayor.
An investigation is already underway.
An already highly contested project
A serious misstep for project leaders who wish to install storage lagoons in the two villages in order to increase the productivity of the Braisnes-sur-Aronde methanizer? The protest was in any case organized in a spectacular way once the project to create lagoons was revealed a few weeks ago. The Marquéglise collective made up of local residents has already led several demonstrations to voice its opposition and its fears, particularly of olfactory pollution. They were accompanied, during these protests, by elected officials from the territory and villages, opposed to the issue. An online petition has collected more than 400 signatures.
We contacted Guillaume Lartigue, presented as president of Métha-Oise in the registration application filed with the prefecture. Unable to answer us, he promised to call us back.
