2024-02-05 10:28:24
François Bayrou, at the Paris court, February 5, 2024. MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP
The Paris court ruled on Monday, February 5, on the fate of the president of the MoDem, François Bayrou, as well as that of ten centrist executives and elected officials in the case of European parliamentary assistants. The former minister was acquitted.
The three-time presidential candidate, who appeared from October 16 to November 21, 2023, specified that he would be present for the delivery of the decision from 10 a.m. by the president of the 11th correctional chamber.
Considering that he was guilty of acts involving “undermining the values of probity and exemplarity that it promotes”the prosecution had requested against him thirty months of suspended imprisonment, a fine of 7,000 euros and three years of suspended ineligibility, for complicity, by instigation, in the embezzlement of European public funds.
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“Fraudulent system”
The high commissioner for planning, close to the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, is suspected of having been the “primary decision maker” of a “fraudulent system” which consisted, between 2005 and 2017, of using European funds to pay parliamentary assistants who in reality worked for centrist organizations in France.
At issue: eleven disputed contracts, for a total damage of 293,000 euros according to the European Parliament, civil party. Accusations that François Bayrou has always strongly contested.
At the bar, he denounced a « intoxication » judicial, refuting at length the existence of any ” system “ for the benefit of his party. Among the other defendants are the former Minister of Justice Michel Mercier, 76, five former MEPs including Jean-Luc Bennahmias, 69, three executives and a parliamentary assistant at the time.
Several suspended sentences
Janelly Fourtou, former MEP, is sentenced to one year in prison, a fine of 50,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility, a sentence higher than the prosecution’s requisitions, which requested eight months suspended and 10,000 euros in fine.
Bernard Lehideux, another former MEP and treasurer of the centrist group (ALDE) in the European Parliament, is sentenced to eighteen months in prison, a fine of 50,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility. Anne Laperrouze, another former centrist MEP, is also sentenced to twelve months of suspended imprisonment, a fine of 15,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility. A similar sentence for Jean-Luc Bennhamias, who will have to pay a fine of 30,000 euros.
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Alexandre Nardella, financial director of MoDem, is sentenced for complicity in embezzlement, to eighteen months suspended, a fine of 20,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility.
Michel Mercier, former minister of justice and treasurer of François Bayrou’s party, is sentenced to eighteen months in prison, a fine of 20,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility for embezzlement of public funds. For his part, Jean-Jacques Jegou, treasurer of MoDem, was sentenced to twelve months’ suspended sentence, a fine of 10,000 euros and 2 years of suspended ineligibility.
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