The deputy for Europe of the mayor PS of Paris Anne Hidalgo, Hermano Sanches Ruivo, resigned Friday from his functions after the opening of an investigation, the ethics committee of the elected Parisians pointing to a conflict of interest between his public and private activities.
"I note that the political conditions for the normal exercise of my mandate as Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of Europe are no longer met,"
said the elected, 55 years old, in a statement sent. to AFP.
"I have decided to resign from my deputy post, the time to devote myself exclusively to my defense"
, explains Mr. Sanches Ruivo who is
"at the disposal of justice" and says he is "in good faith"
.
Eight days earlier, the mayor of Paris had announced to seize its ethics committee after the hearing of this elected by the police for suspicions of laundering of tax fraud, reported by
Le Parisien.
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Thursday, the ethics committee of elected officials of the Council of Paris gave Anne Hidalgo an opinion "pointing to a conflict of interest between her private and public activities," the town hall told AFP.
In addition, according to the same source, the committee found discrepancies between the declaration of interests of the elected official and that made during his hearing.
As the investigation is already open, the town hall no longer has to resort to the procedure under article 40 requiring any public official with knowledge of a crime or misdemeanor to inform the prosecutor.
The committee's opinion "will be sent to the Paris prosecutor's office as part of its investigation", indicates the town hall.
AFP was unable to obtain confirmation from the prosecution of the opening of an investigation.
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According to
Le Parisien
, the elected representative of Portuguese origin would have been placed in police custody in October "following an anonymous denunciation".
The person assured him to the newspaper to have answered the investigators, but not under the regime of police custody.
The entourage of the elected did not respond to requests from AFP.
According to his amending declaration of interests dated April 6, 2021, Mr. Sanches Ruivo had no private activity.