Fnac Darty formerly owned Comet, which it sold for £2 a year before its demise in 2012. However, Fnac Darty  received £115m as part of a financing deal with its new owners, the Financial Times reported.

Comet’s collapse led to the loss of more than 6,000 jobs and a £44m bill to taxpayers. It is alleged by FRP Advisory that the payment to Fnac Darty broke insolvency rules because it was paid ahead of other Comet creditors.