“Mr Patrick Balkany's state of health is medically incompatible with his detention.
This is the conclusion of the health certificate dated January 20, written by a professor of digestive surgery at the Paris hospital who follows him.
A certificate that the 73-year-old former mayor (LR) of Levallois-Perret made public this Saturday morning, when he is under threat of returning to prison after the Rouen Court of Appeal has revoked his placement under electronic bracelet, Thursday.
A revocation which also concerns his wife and former first assistant, Isabelle Balkany, 74, hospitalized in Évreux since Thursday evening, after a suicide attempt.
The state of health of the two former elected officials seems to be their only lifeline to avoid prison.
If Patrick Balkany's lawyer, Pierre-Olivier Sur, said this Saturday morning that he is still examining the possibility of an appeal in cassation within five days, he recalls that it is in no way suspensive.
"So it doesn't matter at all," he says.
The question is whether his state of health (
to Patrick Balkany
) is compatible with his detention.
»
Read alsoPatrick Balkany: "I don't know if I'm going to be sent back to jail"
Note also valid for Isabelle Balkany, whose advice we could not reach this Saturday.
Her husband has not stopped pointing out his "fragility" for the past two days, while the former elected official had already made two suicide attempts.
“We forget that in a democracy, a sentence, prison, is not torture, launches Me Sur.
He will not go to prison if his state of health is not compatible!
»
Two "emergency hospitalizations"
In his letter, the AP-HP specialist who follows Patrick Balkany lists the various interventions undergone by his patient, in particular: an "emergency hospitalization", following an occlusive hail syndrome and dilated cardiomyopathy, from 12 to 27 December 2019;
endoscopic removal of a 15 mm polyp with low grade dysplasia and three polyadenomas of the left colon, on January 20, 2020;
emergency hospitalization for decompensation of his dilated cardiomyopathy, from October 29 to November 7, 2020;
removal of ten polyadenomas on September 6, 2021.
The surgeon still cites osteomuscular problems, with a surgical history of spinal arthrodesis and back pain.
“More recently, a symptomatic right inguinal hernia was discovered, which should be operated on, an intervention postponed several times” due to the Covid, he adds.
"In conclusion, the state of health of Mr. Patrick Balkany remains very precarious and requires close and regular medico-surgical gastroenterological, cardiological and rheumatological follow-up", concludes the professor, to estimate that he is hardly compatible with a new detention of his patient.
It is also, in particular because of this state of health, that the former deputy mayor had escaped prison, after his sentence to three years in prison, by the Paris Court of Appeal, on March 4. 2020, for tax evasion.
These are also medical reasons, which had caused his release after Patrick Balkany was sentenced at first instance, to four years in prison with a warrant of committal.
He had spent five months in prison, between September 2019 and February 2020.
By disclosing the letter from his surgeon, the former elected official clearly intends to defend his freedom.
Contacted, the teacher had not yet responded to our request this Saturday noon.