Vivendi, Veolia Responsible for Ex-CEO’s Comments, Lawyer Says 2010-01-08 17:38:26.365 GMT

    Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Vivendi SA and Veolia Environnement
SA, spun off from Vivendi in 2002, share responsibility with the
seven former executives facing trial for misleading investors
about the financial health of the company, a shareholder lawyer
said in filing a private prosecution against the companies.
    Jean-Marie Messier, Vivendi’s former chief executive
officer, Edgar Bronfman Jr. and five other former top executives
face charges including market manipulation, distributing false
information and misuse of corporate funds at Paris-based
Vivendi, a civil plaintiff in the case.
    “The companies are responsible for the misleading
statements made by Messier,” lawyer Frederik-Karel Canoy, who
represents about 1,000 individual investors, said today in a
telephone interview. Vivendi “will wear two hats in the trial,
as accused and plaintiff. It’s allowed in France.”
    Vivendi and Veolia were served papers notifying them of the
private prosecution yesterday, Canoy said. He notified the court
and the Paris prosecutor today. A scheduling hearing for the
trial is set for Jan. 21.
    Veolia received the notice and had no comment on the
matter, said spokeswoman Marie-Claire Camus. A Vivendi spokesman
didn’t immediately return calls for comment. Isabelle Montagne,
a spokeswoman for the prosecutors’ office, said they hadn’t yet
received the filing.

By Heather Smith - Bloomberg -