Uber France CEO Thibault Simphal and Uber Europe GM Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty have both been taken into custody, according to reports from the AFP and France’s The Local.
According to authorities, the two Uber bosses are being investigated for running an illegal operation.
From The Local:
According to BFM TV the pair are being investigated for “inciting illegal employment”, with the Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve having already suggested that the pair’s insistence on rolling out UberPop was effectively encouraging individuals to break the law.
Last week, more than 3,000 angry taxi drivers launched a massive protest against UberPOP. Roads to and from Paris airports and train stations were blocked, as was the beltway around the city. The protesters, who’ve been critical of Uber’s practices for some time, took to the streets and flipped cars, attacked Uber drivers, and burned tires.
#BREAKING Two Uber bosses taken into custody in France: legal source
— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) June 29, 2015
Soon after, French authorities sided with the protesters. Authorities launched legal action against Uber and Interior Minister Bernard Cazenueve banned Uber’s operation and told police to seize Uber cars on sight.
Uber was defiant, however, and said the French government is interfering with justice. A ruling on a 2014 law banning much of how Uber operates is expected this fall – but it’s clear that French officials are completely cracking down on the company before said ruling comes in. Uber has been technically banned in the country for months, but up until now has been allowed to operate pending the final ruling.