The former deputy director general of the Orpea group, Jean-Claude Brdenk, defended his record on Tuesday, February 15 before the social affairs commission of the National Assembly.
Depicted in the Inquiry book The Gravediggers, of the journalist Victor Castanet, as “the zealous performer” of one “Orpea system”the head of operation and development of the group of for-profit nursing homes between 1997 and 2020 responded to what he believes to be “counter-truths”.
Members of the Social Affairs Committee questioned him about the falsification of contracts or the mistreatment of residents mentioned in the book. Allegations refuted en bloc. “We were the first to set up an abuse prevention program”said Jean-Claude Brdenk, mentioning the positive results of checks carried out by the health authorities.
Also listen After the Ehpad scandal, revelations about the Orpea clinics
“I think I have been honest, fair and equitable”
Heard earlier in the day by the same commission, Elodie Marchat, deputy director general of the solidarity center of the Hauts-de-Seine departmental council, indicated that the accounting data available to her community did not make it possible to identify an anomaly. At the Ehpad Les Bords de Seine in Neuilly-sur-Seine, particularly targeted by Victor Castanet’s accusations, the amount of expenses was “in line with the occupancy rate”she argued.
Jean-Claude Brdenk put into perspective the number of forced departures of facility managers who disagree with Orpea’s cost reduction policy. “I think I have been honest, fair and equitable. I have put in place all the necessary means” to the proper functioning of the establishments, he affirmed, while acknowledging lip service that he may have been ” awkward “.
The man who left the management of Orpea in December 2020 for the medical group Bastide justified his severance pay of 2.5 million euros gross by presenting them as complying with the practices in force in listed companies.
Parliamentary inquiry commission
“I had the impression many times that you were drowning the fish”hit him with the number two of La France insoumise (LFI), Adrien Quatennens. “Many points remained unresolved”regretted for her part the president of the commission, Fadila Khattabi (La République en Marche, LRM), after three hours of hearing.
In a column published by The worldsome 70 deputies mainly from the left, the numbers one of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, and of FO, Yves Veyrier, as well as representatives of the collectives of families and staff, have again and “solemnly” asked for the creation of a commission of inquiry in the National Assembly.
“Only a parliamentary commission of inquiry would allow the leaders of the Orpea group to be heard immediately and under oath. (…) and to obtain any document it deems useful. Such safeguards would prohibit vague and imprecise answers.underline the signatories, including the presidential candidates Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) and Fabien Roussel (French Communist Party, PCF).