France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office has been investigating suspected corruption involving international contracts of French defense and technology group Thales, including its operations in Azerbaijan, since June 2023, AFP reported, citing prosecutors.
The investigation concerns suspected irregularities in the sale of military and civilian equipment abroad. In June 2024, investigators conducted searches at Thales facilities, with Le Monde reporting that the raids targeted company premises in several countries.
Thales declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
The case has drawn renewed attention amid revelations concerning Mehmet Sahan, a former Thales executive in Azerbaijan who has been imprisoned in the country since February 2022.
Sahan, a dual French-Turkish national who headed Thales’ Azerbaijani operations for seven years, was accused of embezzling approximately €5 million in company operating funds. He denies the allegations.
According to Le Monde, Sahan maintains that his prosecution was retaliation for attempting to investigate suspected corruption involving Thales’ activities in Azerbaijan.
In April 2026, an Azerbaijani court upheld a 10-year prison sentence against Sahan and ordered him to pay €4 million in compensation following his conviction for embezzlement and document forgery.
France’s Foreign Ministry said it was closely monitoring his situation but declined to comment on the substance of the case or address concerns raised by Le Monde about his health in detention.
Thales has rejected allegations linking the company to corruption, describing them as unfounded and misleading.
The company maintains that court rulings conclusively established that its former employee forged documents and embezzled millions of euros, making Thales the victim of the alleged misconduct.
Thales also condemned what it called a deliberate manipulation of the facts that could damage its reputation, reaffirming its policy of zero tolerance toward illegal conduct.
