The trial of Thierry Fialek-Birles, accused of defrauding French actor Dany Boon of nearly €7 million (£6 million), is set to open in Nice next month. Boon, star of the hit film 'Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis', alleges that Fialek-Birles posed as an Oxford-educated maritime lawyer and Irish aristocrat to orchestrate an elaborate scam.
According to court documents, the actor transferred over €2.2 million to a Dublin-registered company, South Seas Merchants Mariners Ltd Partnership, for the maintenance and insurance of his yacht. Fialek-Birles then convinced Boon to invest €4.5 million in a non-existent scheme with the Irish Central Bank promising tax-free interest.
When Boon became suspicious, Fialek-Birles allegedly claimed the company had been sold and encouraged the actor to sue the new owners. He then disappeared, prompting Boon to hire private investigators who uncovered multiple aliases, passports, and addresses across several countries, including France, Monaco, and St Kitts.
Fialek-Birles was arrested in Panama in February 2024 following an Interpol notice and extradited to France six months later. He initially denied the charges but recently applied for bail, stating he wanted to 'make amends' and repay Boon. The court refused his application.
He faces charges of fraud, money laundering, forgery, and use of forged documents. The trial begins on 26 November in Nice.
