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Suspicions of fictitious jobs: François and Penelope Fillon back in court

2021-11-15T06:28:11.945Z


At first instance, the former Prime Minister was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, two of which was firm, a fine of 375,000 euros and ten


François Fillon back to the bar: the former Prime Minister is on appeal from Monday alongside his wife and his former deputy in the case of the suspicion of fictitious jobs which had undermined his presidential campaign in 2017. This second trial is held nearly a year and a half after the conviction of the former tenant of Matignon, for embezzlement of public funds in particular, to five years of imprisonment, two of which is closed, a fine of 375,000 euros and ten years of imprisonment. ineligibility.

He immediately appealed.

While a new presidential election is being prepared, the Paris Court of Appeal examines until November 30 a file that remains synonymous with a political shipwreck.

From the first revelations of the Chained Duck in January 2017, justice had seized and the candidate Fillon, herald of integrity and favorite of the polls, had been examined six weeks before the first round, from which he was finally eliminated.

VIDEO.

Fictitious jobs: François Fillon sentenced to 2 years in prison

Now 67 years old and retired, François Fillon will again have to explain his wife Penelope's three contracts as parliamentary assistant, signed by him and by the one who was then his deputy in Sarthe, Marc Joulaud, between 1998 and 2013. Services remunerated 613,000 euros net, “fictitious or overvalued” according to the accusation, for whom the activities of Ms. Fillon fell within the “social role” of a “spouse of a politician”, but not of an employee .

The work of Penelope Fillon was certainly "discreet" but decisive, has always claimed her husband, who affirms in particular that she managed his mail and reread speeches.

That the "innocence" of the Fillon "be finally recognized"

The Fillon couple is also on trial for the employment of their two children as parliamentary assistant to their father senator between 2005 and 2007, as well as for the contract of Penelope Fillon as “literary advisor” in 2012 and 2013 at the Revue des two worlds, property of Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière.

Friend of François Fillon, the latter recognized, in a separate procedure, a partly fictitious job and he was convicted in 2018 for abuse of corporate assets.

PODCAST.

He already saw himself President of the Republic: François Fillon, route of a fall (part 1)

François Fillon is finally tried for having failed to declare to the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP) a loan of 50,000 euros - he was released at first instance.

The stake of this trial on appeal is that "the innocence" of François Fillon "and that of his wife are finally recognized", summarized with AFP the lawyer of François Fillon, Me Antonin Lévy.

At first instance, Penelope Fillon was sentenced to three years in prison, a fine of 375,000 euros and two years of ineligibility.

Marc Joulaud received a three-year suspended prison sentence, a € 20,000 suspended fine and five years of ineligibility.

Both also appealed.

The defense criticizes a "dependent" investigation,

"The assistance" of the 66-year-old Franco-Welsh "corresponded exactly to what Marc Joulaud needed to best exercise the mandate of deputy of François Fillon, while the latter exercised in Paris the responsibilities of minister", assured to AFP the lawyer of Mr. Joulaud, Me Jean Veil.

The National Assembly, civil party, had obtained more than one million euros in damages: it will also be represented in appeal.

PODCAST.

He already saw himself as president: François Fillon, route of a fall (part 2)

The defense, which from the outset has criticized an investigation "to charge", also intends to evoke during the appeal debates a controversy that arose a few days before the delivery of the first instance judgment - the lawyers had requested, in vain, a postponement. of the decision. The former head of the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF), Éliane Houlette, then spoke in a parliamentary committee of hierarchical "pressure" in this case, which caused an outcry. The magistrate then regretted that her words were "distorted or misunderstood".

The Head of State Emmanuel Macron had at the time seized the Superior Council of the Magistracy (CSM) which has since concluded, in September 2020, that the justice functioned "independently" in this extraordinary case, while advocating a reform to remove any suspicion of bias in the future.

In September 2021, the press revealed that a second investigation targeting François Fillon had been opened in 2017, concerning the employment conditions of another parliamentary assistant, the writer Maël Renouard, between 2013 and 2015. These investigations are still ongoing In progress.

Source: leparis

All tech articles on 2021-11-15

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