Fifteen people, including François Bayrou, High Commissioner for Planning, Michel Mercier, former Keeper of the Seals and former MEPs Sylvie Goulard, Nathalie Griesbeck and Jean-Luc Bennahmias are indicted in this investigation opened since March 2017. Last December, the MoDem, and the UDF swallowed up in 2007 by the MoDem, were indicted as a legal person for “complicity and concealment in embezzlement of public funds”.
The Paris prosecutor's office had opened an investigation after the denunciation of Sophie Montel, a former elected representative of the National Front, on the fictitious jobs of collaborators of 19 of her colleagues from all political backgrounds, including two from the MoDem: Robert Rochefort and Marielle Sarnez, deceased since January 2021 and close to François Bayrou.
This investigation had led to the resignation of the latter from his post as Minister of Justice as well as those of Sylvie Goulard at the Ministry of Defense and Marielle de Sarnez at European Affairs.
The judges sought to determine whether these parliamentary collaborators of the MoDem were paid by funds from Brussels when they were in fact assigned to other tasks for the centrist party.
The facts go back in particular to the European legislature from 2009 to 2014.
1.4 million euros in damage for the European Parliament
In their summary report, the police officers of the anti-corruption office considered that the investigations had brought to light "an old and more or less informal system aimed at using the funds of the European Parliament in order to allow the maintenance of the activity of the party and the level of remuneration of employees of the UDF-MoDem”.
They estimated the damage for the European Parliament at 1.4 million euros.
Contacted Me Teitgen, the lawyer for François Bayrou and the MoDem, confirmed to us the end of the investigation in this file without wanting to comment.
Defense lawyers now have 15 days to send the magistrate their observations, make requests or present requests.
As for the Paris prosecutor's office, it has a period of three months to submit its requisitions.
The defense lawyers will still have one month to submit additional observations.
The MoDem is not the only party in the crosshairs of justice.
In addition to Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally, the FN party which has become RN as a legal person and 22 people have been formally implicated.
La France insoumise is also the subject of prosecution.