The elected official was prosecuted for paying in 2011, while he was deputy, a subsidy of 160,000 euros with the funds of his parliamentary reserve to the Association Values Écologie, which he chaired since 2009.
mo12345lemonde with AFP
The mayor of Metz, François Grosdidier (ex-Republicans), was found guilty of “illegal takeover”, Tuesday, February 7, by the Epinal Correction Court and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with Subsis and 10,000 euros fine.
m. Grosdidier, elected mayor in 2020, was prosecuted for paying in 2011, while he was a deputy, a subsidy of 160,000 euros with the funds of his parliamentary reserve to the Association Values Ecologie, which he presided since 2009. The hearing in early January, he had assured that he had the feeling at the time to “promote a cause which seemed to him of general interest rather than his personal interest”. In addition, the analysis of the association’s accounts had not revealed any movement of funds promoting it. Mr. Grosdidier had denounced “permanent judicial harassment”, targeting a former political adversary, Philippe Mousnier, at the origin of this case.
The old treasurer of the Association Values Ecologie, Marie-Louise Kuntz, was also convicted for the concealment of this illegal interest, two months’ suspended imprisonment, as well as 2,000 euros fine. The court estimated that Mr. Grosdidier “had a manifest interest in granting the subsidy to an association of which he was president” and that M me kuntz “was aware of the fraudulent origin of the funds “.
innocent of” the slanderous accusation of embezzlement of public goods “
“This judgment definitively informs me of the slanderous accusation of embezzlement of public goods”, reacted François Grosdidier in a press release, announcing his desire to appeal. “It was for me the essentials, proving my probity to those who had trusted me. Inegibility is dismissed when it was the real goal pursued by my accusers and political opponents,” he added .
An investigating judge had made a dismissal order in 2016, confirmed on appeal in 2017 by the Metz investigation chamber. But the anti-corruption anti-corruption association then introduced an appeal in cassation and the Court of Cassation had broken the dismissal in June 2018, referring the case to the Nancy investigation chamber. Mr. Grosdidier was then indicted in February 2021 and returned to correctional in August 2021. He will have to pay 1,000 euros in damages to Anticor, his former treasurer 500 euros. François Grosdidier had previously been mayor of the neighboring city of Woippy, from 2001 to 2017, and deputy of the 1 re district of Moselle from 1993 to 2011.