Two days after the lifting of his police custody for "
endangering the lives of others and hidden work
", the cook Christophe Leroy, suspected of having organized clandestine dinners, in particular with the collector Pierre-Jean Chalençon, s 'is voiced this Sunday on BFMTV.
“
I made a mistake,
” he said, acknowledging a “
clumsiness
”.
To read also: Confinement: the use of the services of a chef at home, is it legal?
But, basically, the chef did not budge: it was not a clandestine restaurant, but a "
private club
".
"
Legally, it was not a restaurant
", he hammered well, taking up the line of defense already exposed by his lawyer this week.
He explains that he founded this “
club
” in his apartment 18 months ago, “
well before the Covid-19
”.
"
It's my life project, I don't want to stop it at all,
" he even explained.
How would it not be a restaurant?
“
I entertain at home, I introduce people, it's a showroom, a co-working space.
There are people who come here to work, who rent an office.
And as my job is the art of living, gluttony, it's normal that I serve them a few dishes and a few dishes
, he explained.
We pay a minimum package of 130 euros to go through the door, if I have validated the invitation, we eat a dish or drink a glass of water.
Why?
Because it is a place where we have internet available, it is a lounge, as you would be in a palace lobby.
We are 300 meters from the Champs-Élysées, it's not free, why would it be?
I have an international clientele that comes here
”.
"
Does it deserve this media outcry?"
"
On BFMTV, Christophe Leroy also declared that he had given the police officers the list of “
personalities
” passed by his “
club
”.
“
I have never served in government for the past few months, never, never, never.
I say it straight in the eye,
”he said.
On the other hand, there would be business leaders, opinion leaders, artists or even media figures who would have met during a “
twenty events
” in total.
“
In a period of Covid-19, there have never been more than six people around a table,
” he added.
Regarding the true-false “
dinner
” organized with Pierre-Jean Chalençon on March 31 at the Palais Vivienne, Christophe Leroy recognized an “
error
” and an “
awkwardness
”.
“
With Pierre-Jean Chalençon, we talk to each other at 5 pm on March 31.
We hesitate to cancel, we should have.
Does it deserve this media outcry?
", He explained.
“
Why see the negative side of things?
It's very French to see the negative.
Let people do things
", argued the cook who swears that"
as long as we do not cut (him) hands, we will not prevent (him) from working
".