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Clandestine dinners: five minutes to understand the controversy around Pierre-Jean Chalençon

2021-04-05T11:58:34.986Z


Have ministers illegally participated in lavish dinners in Paris? The accusations of a collector, who has since changed his mind, s


Under the gilding of Parisian palaces, wealthy guests would consider themselves above the law, while restaurants have been closed for many months.

This was denounced on Friday by a report by M 6, shot with a hidden camera in several places in the capital, where illegal dinners would be organized in defiance of barrier gestures and bans linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.

If one of the organizers, the collector Pierre-Jean Chalençon, has already been identified, have ministers also, as the latter initially asserted, participated in these prohibited events?

The Parisian takes stock.

This report from M 6 which set fire to the powder

Since Friday, social networks have been in turmoil in the face of the broadcast of a report by M 6, shot with a hidden camera in the midst of the epidemic, in places described as "illegal restaurants" in the beautiful districts of the capital, where no waiters , nor participants wear masks.

In a video obtained by journalists, it is the gilding of the Palais Vivienne, located in the 2nd arrondissement, that Internet users recognize.

Caviar, champagne, menus from top chefs and compulsory mask removal ... Our journalists were able to enter these high standing clandestine parties which are currently being held in Paris.


🎥 @ frvignolle Armelle Mehani and @CyrielleStadler exclusively for 📺 # 19h45 pic.twitter.com/ClXpIWrVwZ

- M6info (@ m6info) April 2, 2021

Dozens of guests wander around, some kissing each other.

The floor is then given to a man, presented as the organizer of this evening for which it is necessary to pay 220 euros per person.

He will quickly be identified as the collector Pierre-Jean Chalençon, - owner of the Palais Vivienne, where Le Parisien had met him for a portrait last year - and explains to journalists: “I dined this week in two or three so-called illegal restaurants (...), with a certain number of ministers, so that makes me laugh gently ”.

And to justify himself: "We are still in a democracy so we do what we want".

Since then, many Internet users have demanded that these possible participants from ministries be identified and sanctioned, in particular under the hashtag #OnVeutLesNoms on Twitter.

An organizer who sows trouble

If the presence of members of the executive at an illegal dinner could not be determined this Monday, doubts about the identity of the organizer of the dinner at the Palais Vivienne, known for his participation in the show of France 2 “Deal concluded” - which he left last June after posing alongside the controversial comedian Dieudonné - were quickly dispelled.

A video of Pierre-Jean Chalençon evoking, in February on YouTube, his desire to set up dinners within the framework of what he calls the “Vivienne's club”, was unearthed by Internet users.

In a video published on February 1 on YouTube, Pierre-Jean Chalançon evokes the dinners organized with Christophe Leroy.

And he says: "My friend Attal is due for dinner soon" (via @MichelEpicetou) pic.twitter.com/anIQDJnr4c

- Sylvain Chazot (@sychazot) April 4, 2021

“It's going to be a gourmet club (...), he then projects himself.

Twice a month we will receive, with my friend Christophe Leroy, the chef of Johnny Hallyday, and other chefs from elsewhere, people for lunch or dinner and there will be a guest of honor.

"" I reinvent myself, the restaurants are closed, we can no longer receive, here it is nearly 600 m2, we can afford to receive 6 or 8 or 10 people in the different lounges ", also slips this Napoleon enthusiast , also known for his participation in the programs "Touche pas à mon poste" and "Big heads", who does not hide it: "It makes a little income, because we are unfortunately not helped.

"

He also boasts of having "four or five ministerial buddies, men or women."

“I know Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne well, who is a friend, Franck Riester, Roselyne Bachelot, he is a person that I have known for a few years now (...) and then I have a lot of friends in the ministries, in communication station, at our friend Attal's, moreover he must come to dinner soon, ”lists the fifty-year-old, who also quotes friends in the Senate and the National Assembly.

However, since Sunday, the whimsical Parisian finally denies any participation of ministers in his dinners.

He even, at first, denied being at the origin of such an evening, before recognizing it implicitly.

In fact, in a press release released on Sunday evening, his lawyer proclaims it: “Pierre-Jean Chalençon, a great collector of Napoleon's objects, has always enjoyed using humor [...].

This is how, when the latter specifies that he dines with ministers in underground restaurants, he brilliantly handles the meaning of the absurd ... "The person concerned has not, to date, given following our requests.

Christophe Leroy, a chef close to the stars

Another protagonist of these evenings, identified by Internet users: chef Christophe Leroy.

His publications unearthed on Instagram leave little doubt as to his links with Pierre-Jean Chalençon, since several photos posted since December show the two men posing together in one of the living rooms of the Vivienne Palace.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Christophe Leroy (@chefchristopheleroy)

The cook regularly advertises on the social networks of his "Leroy's Business Club", a private club located at the Palais Vivienne and one of his posts, since deleted, also promotes "an exceptional moment at the Palais Vivienne on April 1 for a dinner-evening, from 5.45 pm around a caviar and champagne menu ”.

The planned date can also be the one during which the images broadcast the next day, April 2 by the channel were filmed.

Another publication also advertises another dinner, priced at 220 euros (the price of the menu mentioned by M 6) and scheduled for March 11.

It was enough to go to the Instagram account of Christophe Leroy, chef of the restaurant of the famous Pierre-Jean Chalençon, who boasted, without shame, of his open restaurant.

(All posts on this subject have been deleted from the account since the controversy) pic.twitter.com/zUYqA41zXu

- Thomas Valognes (@ThomasValognes) April 4, 2021

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An article entitled "Meeting with Christophe Leroy, the former chef of the stars rebounds in Paris", published on March 7 in Ouest-France, moreover evokes the collaboration between the collector and the chef, who explains: "The period is rough for everyone and the horizon is not clear.

Pierre-Jean Chalençon, to keep this impressive place alive, decided to create a private club: the Vivienne's club.

Lunches can be organized for members ”If the journalist only mentions the presence when he arrives of“ a few guests ”,“ gathered that afternoon for a high-level tasting ”, he does not give their number (only the gatherings a maximum of six people are currently authorized) and does not indicate whether the barrier gestures have been respected.

With Checknews, the Keys agency, which is in charge of renting the Vivienne Palace, confirmed the holding of an event on April 1: "An operation for brands, in collaboration with chef Christophe Leroy", according to one of its leaders, who recalls that "there are several salons in the Vivienne Palace, the idea is precisely not to crowd people" and sees in the emerging controversy "buzz", "a storm in a glass of water ”.

What is the reaction of the executive?

The message is intended to be strong on the government side.

"If ministers or deputies have broken the rules, they must have fines and be penalized like any other citizen," said Minister Delegate for Citizenship Marlène Schiappa on Europe 1.

"Either (these facts) are false and we must not cast reproach obviously, or they are true and obviously (...) people must be able to be prosecuted and, I imagine, condemned for having organized such parties" , also commented the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, who seized the prefecture of police of Paris of an administrative investigation.

The latter adding that "there are not two types of citizens with those who have the right to party and those who do not have the right".

Following the M6 ​​report, I asked the Paris Police Prefect to verify the accuracy of the reported facts in order, if they are verified, to prosecute the organizers and participants of these clandestine dinners.

- Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) April 4, 2021

"I do not believe for a single second", indicated Gabriel Attal, spokesman of the government, on LCI, about a participation of member of the executive in these dinners.

His entourage also said they were surprised that the latter was cited as being one of Pierre-Jean Chalençon's relatives.

"He does not know Mr. Chalençon and has obviously never participated in any dinner or evening," he told AFP.

For his part, Bruno The mayor assured that there is no privilege for anyone ”.

"I would be curious that this restaurateur gives the names of the ministers if he is so well informed that that", insisted the Minister of the Economy, by hammering that "all the ministers, without exception, respect the rule, none of them. considers that he is entitled to any privilege whatsoever.

What are the legal consequences?

Sunday evening, the Paris prosecutor, Rémy Heitz, opened a criminal investigation and revealed to our colleagues from Liberation to have seized the Brigade for the repression of delinquency in the BRDP person of the judicial police, as part of "an investigation counts of endangering others and undeclared work ”.

"Its objective will be to verify whether the evenings were organized in disregard of health rules and to determine who were the possible organizers and participants", specifies the prosecution.

Minister, or not, any guest who is identified therefore risks a fine of 135 euros for non-compliance with wearing a mask and non-compliance with the curfew.

The organizers of such events could be prosecuted for endangering the lives of others and face a one-year prison sentence and a fine of 15,000 euros.

Source: leparis

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