Justice widened in October 2019 its investigation opened in particular for influence peddling targeting the former chief of intelligence Bernard Squarcini to facts of “ theft ” after a complaint by François Ruffin and the newspaper Fakir , indicated a source close to the folder. The Paris Prosecutor's Office issued an additional indictment on October 9, 2019 allowing the two investigating judges already responsible for the investigations into the Squarcini case to also investigate these facts of "theft" and " concealment of theft ", according to this source , confirming information from the Obs and Mediapart.
This indictment was issued after the Insoumis deputy François Ruffin and the Fakir association, which published the newspaper of the same name, joined the civil party in June of the same year in this investigation. According to elements of the file of which AFP has knowledge, the defense of François Ruffin denounced the " surveillance " of which he would have been the object " during almost three years " by Bernard Squarcini at the request of the luxury group LVMH, which was revealed by Mediapart.
Charged since 2016
At the time, François Ruffin was not yet a member of La France Insoumise but a committed journalist and documentary maker. He was working on the filming of "Merci Patron", a satirical film about the world leader in luxury, which was awarded in 2017 by the César for best documentary. In his complaint, François Ruffin observed that one of the accused in the Squarcini case had indicated to the police in 2016 "to have worked with a" mole "who would have" trashed Fakir's garbage or stolen documents " ".
Bernard Squarcini, a close friend of Nicolas Sarkozy who went to the security council after being ousted by François Hollande from the head of internal intelligence (DCRI, now DGSI), has been under investigation since September 2016 for multiple alleged crimes, including trafficking influence and embezzlement of public funds, allegedly committed since its conversion to the private sector.
Five others charged
In this drawer investigation, the man nicknamed " the Squale " is suspected of having solicited former DCRI subordinates to obtain elements of the investigation, in particular through the intermediary Ziad Takieddine or the Cahuzac affair. He is also suspected of having used his influence to speed up administrative procedures for the benefit of LVMH boss Bernard Arnault and his entourage.
Five other people are also being prosecuted in this case, including the former boss of the Paris judicial police Christian Flaesch, the former magistrate Laurent Marcadier, a former police commissioner who became an employee of LVMH and a police officer from the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI).
