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Stephane Richard files complaint with Paris court over death threats and leak of his personal information

The head of telecom giant Orange has taken legal action after receiving death threats against himself and family members amid a row over withdrawing his brand from Israel, legal sources said Tuesday.

Stephane Richard filed a complaint at a Paris court last week before heading to Israel in a bid to calm the controversy, a source close to the affair disclosed.

“Stephane Richard received death threats on his telephone and his personal data were published on an Internet site in the context of the controversy over Orange’s presence in Israel,” the source said. Once these personal details were published, Richard received hundreds of calls, including death threats, added the source, who did not wish to be named.

The French telecommunications giant declined to comment on the issue. The row erupted after Richard commented during a news conference in Cairo on June 3 that the firm was planning to withdraw its brand from Israel at the earliest possible opportunity.

Orange licenses its name and logo for use by Israeli firm Partner Communications under an agreement due to run until 2025.

Israel reacted furiously to Richard’s comments, accusing him of bowing to a Palestinian-led boycott campaign.

In 1970, the federal governments Export – Import Bank (Ex-Im) “spun-off” a private bank empowered to trade on the guaranteed loan portfolio of Ex-Im. It’s owned by Citibank, JPMorgan, Chase, Boeing, and GE – some of the largest beneficiaries of Ex-Im support.
Between now and the end of June, Congress will decide the fate of the federal agency, Export – Import Bank (Ex-Im) of the United States, either by doing nothing and letting the bank expire or by voting to let the bank continue. Critics say the bank is the epitome of cronyism, corruption and corporate welfare. Supporters, on the other hand, argue the bank boosts our national security, supports domestic jobs, and levels the global economic playing field.

Last week, our organization American Transparency (OpenTheBooks.com) fact checked the claims of politicians and pundits with the release of our 30 page Federal Transfer Report – Export – Import Bank. One special section of our oversight report addresses a topic that hasn’t received much attention. We looked at large private banks that have processed more than $125 billion in Ex-Im supported transactions since 2007. These private-sector bank beneficiaries processing Ex-Im supported transactions around the world have so far avoided intense scrutiny. They include Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, New York Mellon, Deutsche, Bank of America, and many others.