An investigation by Mediapart has uncovered a concerning incident where two prominent French journalists allegedly shared sensitive information from the ‘Qatar Papers’ book with an advisor to the Bahraini king under the guise of “translation”.
Christian Chesnot from France Inter and Georges Malbrunot from Le Figaro reportedly paid thousands of euros to Milan Erzen, the owner of the Bahrain Victorious cycling team and an advisor to the king, to translate confidential documents that formed the basis of their work for the controversial ‘Qatar Papers’ book, which aimed to defame Doha during the 2017 GCC crisis.
Publisher Michel Lafon transferred 29,403 euros to a Bahraini company called 25th Hour Consulting in connection with ‘Qatar Papers’ and another book authored by Chesnot and Malbrunot. Notably, Erzen is the sole owner of 25th Hour Consulting and also serves as an advisor to Prince Nasser bin Hamed Al-Khalifa, the son of the Bahraini king and head of Bahrain’s sports policy and Royal Guard.
While Lafon’s lawyer claimed that the payment was made as royalties owed to Chesnot and Malbrunot, the company’s focus on “management consulting” and “organizing and promoting sporting events” raised questions about the purpose of the payment.
Chesnot and Malbrunot initially denied knowing Erzen but later stated that the payment was for “translation assistance” of confidential documents in Arabic. However, the absence of such translation services from the company’s website and Erzen’s limited proficiency in Arabic and French added to the suspicions.
Critics also questioned the journalists’ decision to entrust the translation of sensitive Qatari documents to an advisor of a rival country that participated in the blockade of Qatar alongside the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt at the time.
During the 2017 GCC crisis, the Quartet imposed an illegal air, land, and sea blockade on Qatar, accusing the country of supporting terrorism, a claim consistently denied by Qatar.
Mediapart pointed out that there were numerous competent Arabic translators who could have maintained a more neutral stance in handling the sensitive documents.
As the situation continues to develop, Chesnot and Malbrunot have refrained from disclosing further details, citing the need to protect the confidentiality of their journalistic sources and their ability to continue their investigative work. Erzen has also remained tight-lipped, citing confidentiality concerns surrounding his company’s activities.
In March 2023, it was revealed that the rights to the Arabic and English editions of ‘Qatar Papers’ were acquired by a London-based company linked to a French-Algerian journalist, allegedly funded by a UAE research canter. This raised suspicions about the book’s financing, given the UAE’s direct ties to ‘Sheikh Matar,’ an Emirati spy at the center of a damning ‘Abu Dhabi Secrets’ investigation by Mediapart.
Published during the height of the GCC crisis in April 2019, ‘Qatar Papers’ aimed to connect Qatar with the Muslim Brotherhood by alleging the country’s funding of various projects in Europe and France. However, the Muslim Brotherhood is considered a “terrorist organization” by all four countries involved in the blockade against Qatar, stemming from their fears of potential threats to the region’s autocratic regimes and monarchies following the Arab Spring of 2011.
