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Greater than two years of investigations, twelve MoDem figures prosecuted, and a unbroken investigation. François Bayrou has been indicted Friday night time, in the so-called fictitious job case of the MoDem. The president of the centrist motion is suspected of getting “coated” the fee by the European Parliament of parliamentary assistants, who would actually have labored for the celebration.
If the mayor of Pau doesn’t intend to resign and defend himself from any reprehensible act (like all of the others persecuted), this new judicial episode falls badly for him and for his party.
What’s the origin of the case?
It began on March 14, 2017, in the midst of the presidential marketing campaign. The Nationwide Entrance MEP (now Nationwide Meeting in 2018) Sophie Montel stories to the judiciary the case of 19 MEPs, suspected of getting employed assistants who had been truly working for his or her celebration. She supposed to denounce the “double normal”, which she claimed was the sufferer of the FN itself concerned in a case of suspicions of fictitious jobs on the parliamentary attachés of its MEPs. Within the record given by Sophie Montel, embody two elected MoDem, Marielle de Sarnez, and Robert Rochefort.
On 22 March 2017, eight days after this denunciation, the Paris public prosecutor opened a preliminary investigation, for “breach of belief”.
On June 7, a former MoDem worker, Matthieu Lamarre, was heard by the investigators. He mentioned he was partly paid in 2011 as assistant to former MEP Jean-Luc Bennahmias whereas working for the MoDem in Paris. His testimony led to the opening, by the Paris prosecutor’s workplace, of a second investigation, this time for “breach of belief”.
Probably implicated that as president of the centrist celebration, and develop into Minister of Justice in Could 2017, Francois Bayrou resigned from the federal government on June 21. Similar factor for Sylvie Goulard and Marielle de Sarnez, the 2 different ministers and members of the centrist celebration. And on July 20, judicial data in opposition to X is opened for “breach of belief, concealment of breach of belief and scams”.
The place are we?
For 2 years, three investigating judges heard quite a few witnesses and carried out a number of searches. In complete, not less than 9 assistants of elected MoDem members are suspected of getting been assigned to duties on behalf of the celebration.
Every MEP is entitled to 25,000 euros, which he distributes as he needs to pay his parliamentary assistants. These workers may fit in Brussels or within the constituency of origin of the elected consultant, however their missions should be “in reference to Europe”.
Nevertheless, in line with the report of the investigators in June 2018 and revealed final September by France Inter“There are indications that the MoDem might have institutionalized, in its mode of operation, the usage of the sources of the European Parliament for its profit”. In different phrases, these supposedly fictitious jobs might have allowed the MoDem to decrease its payroll.
Among the many gadgets collected by the investigators, consists of an electronic mail from the chief of Marielle de Sarnez, dated October 24, 2007. “Thanks to ascertain a contract on one of many envelopes obtainable from a European parliament for 500 euros web “, he asks in writing to the celebration’s monetary officer, a few MoDem worker.
What’s the protection of Bayrou and others indicted?
In complete, twelve MoDem officers had been indicted on this case. François Bayrou this Friday, so, but in addition Sylvie Goulard, Monday, Marielle de Sarnez, Wednesday, or former Minister Michel Mercier final November.
Some are being prosecuted for hiring collaborators who’ve had a supposedly fictitious job, others for complicity as celebration leaders.
In its protection, the MoDem and its leaders declare to have at all times “revered the foundations”. Whereas among the MEPs’ assistants labored “part-time” for the celebration, they “had been paid for a fraction of the time by the European Parliament and for the opposite half of the time by our motion,” mentioned Wednesday on RMC and BFMTV. François Bayrou.
It ought to be famous that two different French events, the Rassemblement nationwide and La France rebellious, are the topic of comparable investigations.
What’s going to occur now?
On the judicial degree, the investigation will proceed. “This indictment, introduced prematurely within the newspapers, was determined in opposition to all of the proof produced. The rest of the investigation will present that it’s completely unfounded “, reacted with the AFP Me Pierre Cornut-Gentille, the lawyer of François Bayrou.
Politically, this indictment falls badly for almost all, three months of municipal elections. The MoDem is allied with The Republic of Marche, and sits with it within the Nationwide Meeting. However the celebration of Emmanuel Macron does not seem to want to let go the previous Minister of Justice.
As for Francois Bayrou, he doesn’t intend to resign from his publish as celebration president, nor his time period as mayor of Pau. “The MoDem wants him, the bulk wants him and I believe the nation wants him, as a result of we want his voice,” he mentioned Friday night time. France Info Patrick Mignola, MP and president of the MoDem group within the Nationwide Meeting.
It is usually as mayor of the town of Pyrénées-Atlantiques that François Bayrou will obtain, on December 16, Emmanuel Macron. The pinnacle of state organize on that day a summit with the leaders of a number of African nations.
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