Forced by the court to testify despite his refusal, the former head of state refused to answer questions and hammered that he had no accounts to render on his mandate.
“There is a principle that far exceeds my person, called the separation of powers: I do not have to account for the organization of my office or how I exercised my mandate in court, but in front of the French. “Dark suit, joined hands, visibly very dissatisfied with being at the bar of the 32 e Chamber of the Criminal Court of Paris, Nicolas Sarkozy reads a written declaration To justify the silence it is about to oppose the issues of the Tribunal regarding the Case of the Elysée’s surveys.
The testimony of the former head of state was imposed by President Benjamin Blanchet on the second day of hearing of the Elysee’s surveys trial on October 19. Mr Sarkozy is undoubtedly the main beneficiary of the past contracts – without tenders, which justifies this trial – by the Elysée with the companies of his two external councilors, the highly right-handed Patrick Buisson and the former sounder Pierre Giacometti two of the five defendants at trial. They offered political advice, Mr. Buisson adding the provision of surveys, which, to believe, former head of state was strong.
If Mr. Sarkozy is covered by his presidential immunity, which prevents any pursuit in this case, his lighting could have been valuable. The lawyers of his ex-Secretary General Claude Guéant – also warned, as well as the former director of his Cute Emmanuelle and the former Opinion Julien Vaulpré – or Mr. Buisson, had also requested. the instruction, that the former head of state is heard. The latter had declined, and the Serge Tournaire J. had chosen not to order his convocation.
“Great feeling of injustice”
The president of the 32 e Correctional Chamber, Benjamin Blanchet, did not have the same opinion, and has been entitled to the request of the anti-corruption association, civil part, who wanted hear this witness. The former President of the Republic had indicated by mail that he did not intend to argue, arguing of his presidential immunity. But “such hearing can not affect the criminal irresponsibility,” the court answered which, judging the testimony of the former head of state “essential to the manifestation of the truth”, ordered his coming, left at resort to the public force.
Finally, Nicolas Sarkozy, who assures having “learned by the press” this convocation, has come from his own will, but with the firm intention to answer any questions. The former head of state, who assures “appeal” of this convocation, considers that he has “not the right” to explain himself, under pain of betraying “the letter and the spirit of the Constitution “. At most, does it allow a remark on the “great feeling of injustice” that it experiences in the face of this convocation “totally disproportionate”: “I was the first head of state to have the strange idea of doing Return the Court of Auditors to the Elysée. If I did not take this decision, your court would not be seized. “In fact, it is after the first audit of the presidency, in 2008, who did The finding of these contracts passed without respecting the procedure of the public procurement, which the case of the polls will dispel.
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