François Bayrou acquitted within the case of MoDem European parliamentary assistants | EUROtoday

The Paris court docket dominated, Monday, February 5, on the destiny of the president of MoDem, François Bayrou, in addition to that of ten centrist executives and elected officers within the case of European parliamentary assistants. The former minister was acquitted.

The three-time presidential candidate, who appeared from October 16 to November 21, 2023, specified that he can be current for the supply of the choice from 10 a.m. by the president of the 11^e correctional room.

Considering that he was responsible of acts involving “undermining the values ​​of probity and exemplarity that it promotes”the prosecution had requested towards him thirty months of suspended imprisonment, a fantastic of seven,000 euros and three years of suspended ineligibility, for complicity, by instigation, within the embezzlement of European public funds.

“Fraudulent system”

The High Commissioner for Planning, near the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, is suspected of getting been the “primary decision maker” of a “fraudulent system” which consisted, between 2005 and 2017, of utilizing European funds to pay parliamentary assistants who in actuality labored for centrist organizations in France.

At difficulty: eleven disputed contracts, for whole harm of 293,000 euros, in line with the European Parliament, civil celebration. Accusations that François Bayrou has all the time strongly contested.

At the bar, he denounced a “intoxication” judicial, refuting at size the existence of any ” system “ for the good thing about his celebration. Among the opposite defendants are the previous Minister of Justice Michel Mercier, 76, 5 former MEPs together with Jean-Luc Bennahmias, 69, three executives and a parliamentary assistant on the time.

Several suspended sentences

Janelly Fourtou, former MEP, is sentenced to at least one 12 months in jail, a fantastic of fifty,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility, a sentence larger than the prosecution's requisitions, which requested eight months suspended and 10,000 euros in fantastic.

Bernard Lehideux, one other former MEP and treasurer of the centrist group (ALDE) within the European Parliament, is sentenced to eighteen months in jail, a fantastic of fifty,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility. Anne Laperrouze, one other former centrist MEP, can also be sentenced to 12 months of suspended imprisonment, a fantastic of 15,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility. An virtually related sentence for Jean-Luc Bennahmias, who will nevertheless should pay a fantastic of 30,000 euros.

Alexandre Nardella, monetary director of MoDem, is sentenced for complicity in embezzlement, to eighteen months suspended, a fantastic of 20,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility.

Michel Mercier, former minister of justice and treasurer of François Bayrou's celebration, is sentenced to eighteen months in jail, a fantastic of 20,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility for embezzlement of public funds. For his half, Jean-Jacques Jegou, treasurer of MoDem, was sentenced to 12 months of suspended imprisonment, a fantastic of 10,000 euros and two years of suspended ineligibility.