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In 1996 executives of Générale des Eaux, a French water company with cable television and telecommunication interests, were convicted of bribing the mayor to obtain a water concession on the French island Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

In the same year CGE and its transport subsidiary CGEA also faced claims of paying bribes to win transport contracts on Reunion. According to the Sunday Times this inquiry was one of nine separate investigations by judges across France into CGE's empire in response to claims of bribery, fraud and corruption.

Note: In 1998 Générale des Eaux started trading under the company name of Vivendi and in 1999 Vivendi Environment, which has been involved in bidding and winning major water contracts, changed its name to Veolia Environment.