While it is covered by its presidential immunity, the testimony of the former head of state was judged “necessary” by the President of the Tribunal who required his appearance. Five of its former collaborators are interviewed on high benefits of consulting and supplying surveys.
Le Monde with AFP
Nicolas Sarkozy is expected, Tuesday, November 2, to testify at the trial of his forces close in the Elysee’s surveys case. Protected by the presidential immunity conferred on it by the Constitution, Mr. Sarkozy has never been prosecuted, nor heard about suspicion of favoritism and diversion of public funds on which, since October 18, his former collaborators have been explained. .
But, the President of the 32nd correctional chamber of the Paris court ordered his appearance as a witness, – if necessary “by the public force” -, estimating his hearing “necessary for the manifestation of the truth ” Cité as a witness by the Association Anticor, Civil Part, Nicolas Sarkozy had indicated, in a missive to the jurisdiction, that he did not hear, as he had already done during the instruction.
So far, never justice had forced an former head of the state to testify on facts in connection with acts performed in the performance of his duties. Following the court’s decision, he informed him that he would be present at the hearing on Tuesday at 1:30 pm and that it was useless to appeal to the public force, confirmed to the France-Presse Agency ( AFP) His lawyer Thierry Herzog.
Many questions, however, remain around this unpublished testimony. Nicolas Sarkozy could thus oppose the silence to certain questions, if not all, invoking the professional secrecy.
“I do not answer the provocations (…) We must be full of coolness, do not fascinate, not to annoy things. There is a constitution, there are laws and we must respect them, This is the only thing I’m asking, “he claimed on the sidelines of a dedication session in Lyon on the sidelines.
of the benefits of several million euros
If he decides to speak, his statements could have a significant impact on the determination of responsibilities in this case. On the warned bench, five of its former collaborators or advisers have been interviewed for two weeks on counseling and survey provision that cost several million euros between 2007 and 2012.
None has been the subject of a call for tenders, which constitutes, for the Prosecution, of the favoritism on the part of former Secretary General Claude Gueant, of the ex-director of Cabinet Cute Emmanuelle and the one who was then Technical Advisor “Opinion”, Julien Vaulpré.
Suspected of having benefited from an “unjustified advantage”, the former Pierre Giacometti sounder and the very right-handed Politologist Patrick Buisson are judged for reel of favoritism. Mr. Buisson is further pursued for abuse of social goods, as well as for the diversion of 1.4 million euros of public funds around margins of 65.7 to 71% on the resale of surveys – Mr. Guéant and M me being questioned in this component for negligence.
Over the hearings, the defendants argued that ever, since 1958, the Elysée had subscribed to the rules of public order and that it is precisely from the five-year of Nicolas Sarkozy that they had begun to be applied. They also claimed that a competition would have been impossible to the extent that the advisers had been “chosen” and the signed contracts “on instruction” of Nicolas Sarkozy.