UDI president Jean-Christophe Lagarde was sentenced Wednesday March 17 by the Paris Court of Appeal for abusive proceedings against an opposition municipal councilor from Drancy (Seine-Saint-Denis) who had denounced the patronage of the deputy in his constituency during a report.
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Jean-Christophe Lagarde and three municipal councilors were ordered to jointly pay 5,000 euros to Hacène Chibane, elected opposition, told AFP Me David Apelbaum.
Hacène Chibane had denounced "
judicial harassment
" against him and was himself acquitted of defamation.
According to Hacène Chibane, the deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis and former mayor of Drancy is increasing “
unfounded legal proceedings
”, particularly in defamation to “
financially suffocate
” any political opposition but also “
silence journalists or citizens
”.
Jean-Christophe Lagarde had lodged a complaint for defamation against Hacène Chibane after the broadcast on November 29, 2017 of a report in the program “
Pièces à conviction
” on the theme “
Elected officials and associations: dangerous connections
”.
This report, consulted by AFP, presented the elected member of the opposition at the wheel of his vehicle making a tour of the associations of Drancy led by elected officials close to Jean-Christophe Lagarde.
He ensured, based on the municipal deliberation of the grants granted to associations, that "
10 of the 14 best endowed associations in the city were headed by elected officials or one of their relatives
".
Three of these associations which had also lodged a complaint for defamation were rejected and ordered to pay 5,000 euros for abusive proceedings, reported Me Apelbaum.