A doctor has been convicted of perjury for lying under oath at a parliamentary hearing on air pollution about his two decade-long ties with French supermajor Total.
A French court handed Michel Aubier, 69, a six-month suspended jail term and imposed a 50,000 euro fine.
Aubier, who often appeared on televisions talk shows as an expert in his field, was paid on retainer by Total.
The oil major confirmed that he remains on its payroll.
The verdict marks the first time in France an individual has been found guilty of perjury for testimony given to a parliamentary commission.
Aubier told a Senate commission in 2015 that he had no ties with the oil industry or other parties that may be concerned by the commission’s investigations.
“I never minimised the effects of pollution on our health,” Aubier told the court, adding that the links between pollution and cancer were weak.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged committing an error, though he pleaded it was made in good faith and was unintentional.
A Total spokesperson said Aubier would remain a medical adviser to the oil and gas company until the end of 2017, at which point he would turn 70 and retire.
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