Three journalists from Radio France and Disclose were heard Wednesday, December 14 in free hearing by the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) for breach of national defense secrecy during a program in 2018 relating to suspicions of trafficking in influence in the army, we learned from concordant sources.
Benoît Collombat and Geoffrey Livolsi, authors of the French "
Air transport: suspicions of influence peddling in the
French army" investigation, were summoned at 10:00 a.m. to an open hearing along with Jacques Monin, Director of Investigations and Investigations from Radio France.
Right to silence
The hearing of each lasted between an hour and an hour and a half in the premises of the DGSI in Levallois-Perret (Hauts-de-Seine).
After making a statement explaining that the information they revealed was of public interest and concerned public money, they asserted their right to silence by recalling Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights on the protection of sources, Geoffrey Livolsi told AFP.
“
They are litigants like the others except when they are in their mission to inform the public on a subject of public interest
”, reacted his lawyer, Me Virginie Marquet.
They were heard in the context of a judicial investigation opened in 2018 following a complaint with civil action filed by a former member of the special forces whose name was mentioned in their investigation.
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Broadcast on the "
Secrets d'info
" program on France Inter and on the internet, this investigation by journalists revealed that the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) was investigating suspicions of favoritism during air transport subcontracting contracts concluded with the 'French army.
“
This is not a prosecution by the prosecutor or the Ministry of Defense, but by a person who considers that the anonymity which he should have benefited from under the terms of defense secrecy has been ignored
”, recalled Me Basile Ader, who assisted the journalists of Radio France.
"
This (preliminary) investigation has prospered and has been extended to offenses of corruption and illegal taking of interest
", recalled Jacques Monin.
This investigation has been completed and the PNF has sent the defendants the offenses it intended to retain, a judicial source told AFP.
In a briefing note consulted by AFP, the financial prosecutor's office is considering proceedings before the criminal court for ten individuals and the company International chartering systems (ICS).
The offenses retained according to the persons are in particular favoritism during the awarding or execution of contracts, embezzlement of public funds, or active and passive corruption, illegal taking of interest for acts committed between 2010 and 2018. Lawyers must transmit their observations to the PNF who will decide on the follow-up to be given to the procedure.
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