Sarkozy payment of penalties: Cope face the judges – Corse-Matin

Sarkozy payment of penalties: Cope face the judges – Corse-Matin

Paris (AFP)

The former head of the UMP Jean-Francois Cope was indicted Tuesday for “breach of trust” in the investigation into the payment by the party of the penalties that were imposed on Nicolas Sarkozy after the 2012 presidential election, told AFP a judicial source.

This is the second indictment in this case, after the one in December of the former treasurer of the UMP Catherine Vautrin, also for “breach of trust”.

The mayor of Meaux (Seine-et-Marne) arrived with his lawyers to 9:15 at the back of a car who rushed into the parking lot of financial hub of High Court of Paris, according to a journalist from AFP. His lawyers confirmed shortly after 2:30 p.m. press his indictment for “breach of trust”.

“Mr. Cope has been indicted. He assumed full management by UMP financial consequences of the decision of the Constitutional Council following the Sarkothon “said Hervé Temime, one of its defenders.

” We are in complete disagreement with the investigating magistrates (on the fact) that such payment would constitute a breach of trust, “he added.

At the origin of this case, the rejection by the Constitutional Council of the presidential campaign accounts 2012 Nicolas Sarkozy, due to exceeding the limit on allowable expenses.

By depriving the UMP repayment of more than ten million, the decision had serious consequences for the party, then in serious financial trouble with debt estimated at over 70 million. An extensive collection from militants had then successfully launched, the “Sarkothon.”

But, according to the Electoral Code, the candidate Sarkozy had also been imposed, personally, penalties whose UMP was finally acquitted in place in November 2013.

The management of these penalties had been decided after including a favorable legal opinion of Philippe Blanchetier, who had previously represented Nicolas Sarkozy before the National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Financing (CNCCFP).

The lawyer was placed under the intermediate status of assisted witness, as before him the former director of the party’s resources, Fabienne Liadzé.

In the spring of 2014, in a context internal tensions within the party, the notice of Me Blanchetier was challenged in another legal analysis, described as “more detailed” by a source close to the matter from another lawyer, François Sureau. Mr. Sureau was mandated by the new leadership of the UMP composed of François Fillon, Jean-Pierre Raffarin and Alain Juppé.

The statutory accounts of the UMP had also questioned the legality of payment of penalties by the right-wing party and seized the Paris prosecutor, by entering the case in court phase.