Talks between Atos Origin and one of the hedge funds stalking the French computer services company about management payoffs were “scandalous”, according to one of the funds’ own candidates for the supervisory board.

Colette Neuville, chairman of shareholder rights group Adam, said it was “crazy” that Atos had discussed a €70m ($110m) management bonus for accepting a new restructuring plan put forward by New York’s Pardus Capital, before it teamed up with the UK’s Centaurus Capital.