He spent an afternoon in the premises of the PJ (judicial police) in Versailles.
Placed in police custody this Wednesday, February 28 as part of a vast financial affair, the mayor (LR) of Étampes (Essonne) Franck Marlin was finally released early in the evening.
The Évry-Courcouronnes public prosecutor's office, in charge of the preliminary investigation, decided to lift this custody without bringing charges against the 59-year-old elected official at this stage.
“The investigation continues,” specifies the prosecution.
An ongoing investigation since 2021
Faced with investigators from the economic and financial affairs division of the PJ, Franck Marlin was questioned on suspicion of embezzlement of public funds.
It was in 2021, after revelations from Mediapart and a report from Anticor, that justice became interested in the management of the town of Étampes, whose level of debt appeared very high.
To which was added a very tense local context, marked by acts of violence and arson, in particular against an elected opposition official.
An investigation for “embezzlement of public funds, infringement of freedom of access to a public market and breach of trust and forgery” had thus been opened.
A year later, searches were carried out in the town hall of Étampes.
Computer equipment and documents were seized on this occasion.
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Two years after this operation, investigations are continuing at the PJ of Versailles to find out whether or not the Essonne mayor may have unduly benefited from sums of public money.
Mayor of Étampes between 1995 and 2017, also a deputy during this period, Franck Marlin left his councilor's chair three years before being re-elected in 2020. He was a member of the RPR, before joining the UMP then to the Republicans.
Asked this Thursday late morning, Franck Marlin has not responded yet.
“The alleged facts are extremely serious.
Once again, our city sees its image damaged,” reacted the opposition group Étampes en Commun on its Facebook page.
// FRANCK MARLIN PLACED IN CUSTODY // Franck Marlin was taken into custody by the judicial police of...
Published by Étampes en Commun on Wednesday February 28, 2024
The Anticor association, for its part, welcomes a case “taken seriously by the courts”, on the basis of elements sent three years ago by members of the anti-corruption structure.
“Despite the loss of our approval (not renewed by the State at the end of 2023), we continue to play this judicial role,” Anticor further underlines.