Darius Rochebin counter-attack judicially, to hope to be able to return to the antenna of LCI.
The Swiss star journalist, recruited this summer with great fanfare by the TF1 group's continuous news channel, announced today that he had filed a defamation complaint against "Le Temps".
On October 31, the Swiss daily published a long investigation, reporting accusations of harassment and sexual assault.
"Darius Rochebin is the victim of a series of allegations, innuendos and amalgamations, which present him in a light that does not correspond to reality," indicate his two lawyers in a statement sent to AFP, including "The Parisian" had a copy.
“The incriminated article mixes alleged elements of his private life, anonymous comments, gossip, with cases of another order linked to Swiss Radio Television.
It amalgamates with the accusations against two executives of the RTS (whose names have not been published) and which were the subject of complaints and internal investigations because of the hierarchical authority which they exercised. within the RTS ", add Me Francis Szpiner and Me Vincent Solari, recalling" that no complaint has ever been made against him, in 25 years of activity with the RTS and the TSR ".
"He will not come back to us"
After the publication of the article, Darius Rochebin had immediately decided to temporarily withdraw from the air.
For its part, LCI is organized, by entrusting its time slot (from 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.) for a week to the head of the political service of the front page, Adrien Gindre.
But the chain has revised its grid for a more sustainable interim.
From this Monday evening, Elizabeth Martichoux will take over the part of Darius Rochebin, leaving his 8:15 am interview with Adrien Gindre, in the morning of Pascale de La Tour du Pin.
At LCI, where we do not like to make waves, the affair looks bad.
And management's room for maneuver is low because the facts alleged against Darius Rochebin date back to before his arrival in France.
But several employees do not believe in a return to the air.
“Darius will not be coming back to us.
He is currently in Switzerland with his family and promises to sue.
But this new business is very bad for LCI's image.
So, they will negotiate a way out.
It will now be played out between lawyers, ”a journalist from the TF1 group told us last week.