* Eric Woerth faces five years in prison
* The 2007 presidential campaign was in his “rigorous”
* The former accountant of Bettencourt reiterated his accusations
by Claude Canellas
BORDEAUX, Feb. 10 (Reuters) – The former UMP minister Eric Woerth, treasurer of the presidential campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007, denied having received prior to Tuesday due money from Liliane Bettencourt, then weakness is medical expertise.
Eric Woerth before the court of Bordeaux where ten defendants to answer any abuse of weakness which was allegedly the heiress of L’Oreal.
He admitted having had two meetings with the asset manager of Liliane Bettencourt, Patrice de Maistre, in January and February 2007, but denied touching 50,000 euros and an “undetermined” amount, between 100,000 and 400,000 euros.
“I have never received Monsieur de Maistre money. He never gave me cash to fund a campaign or what whatever else, “said the former minister. “This campaign was managed rigorously.”
Claire Thibout, the former accountant of Liliane Bettencourt, the main prosecution witness, on Tuesday reiterated his accusations at a hearing by videoconference, his health does not allow it to withstand a court hearing.
She said Patrice de Maistre asked her January 11, 2007 to withdraw 150,000 euros from a bank account.
“I asked him why He said. I have to see Mr Woerth, it is for the election of Mr Sarkozy,” she said
. January 17, she was conducting a withdrawal of 50,000 euros in cash, the maximum possible on a credit account, and then delivered the next day an envelope containing the money to Liliane Bettencourt, which was entrusted to Patrice de Maistre.
MONEY IN SWITZERLAND?
Later, Patrice de Maistre, according to Claire Thibout, go and tell him that “it used to have accounts in Switzerland.”
“I deduced that he had recovered the rest of the money (100,000 euros) in Switzerland,” she concluded.
Patrice de Maistre and Eric Woerth then met the January 19, which convinced the judges that this meeting in a Parisian cafe allowed to return the money to Eric Woerth, the two men have always denied.
“Monsieur de Maistre m ‘ has not met as agent for Bettencourt. He brought me a tax bill on businesses which I forwarded to the head of the cell that is running the program, “said Eric Woerth.
The instruction held that on January 30 Next, Patrice de Maistre had met in Geneva Mr. René Merkt, responsible for many Swiss accounts of Liliane Bettencourt, to set up a system of provision of cash.
Claire Thibout and Patrice de Maistre s ‘were then met on February 5 for provision of cash from Switzerland 400,000 euros to Liliane Bettencourt.
On February 7, Patrice de Maistre and Eric Woerth met again a Concordance dates pointed to by the investigating judges.
ACCOUNTING INCONSISTENT
Finally, on 10 February, Nicolas Sarkozy returned to his home to visit André Bettencourt, who had sent a few weeks Earlier a support letter to the future president.
Eric Woerth said he had met three times Liliane Bettencourt recognized know Patrice de Maistre “which is part of the first donor base of the UMP.”
The cash movements, however, were difficult to verify, an accountant, Michel Bruyas, who appraised the accounts kept by Claire Thibout, who said Monday that his “inconsistent accounting” was held “in a fog fund written in pencil. “
The remittances from Swiss accounts continued until December 2009, an April 26, 2007 in the amount of 400,000 euros.
The presiding judge, Denis Roucou, noted that it was the same day that Francois-Marie Banier, the photographer and friend of the billionaire, reported that she had told him, “Sarkozy asked again money. I told him yes. “
Nicolas Sarkozy, indicted after being suspected of having benefited from the largesse of the billionaire, has finally received a dismissal for” lack of hard evidence ” .
Eric Woerth, 58, former budget minister and Labour, the current UMP, faces a sentence of five years imprisonment and a 375,000 euros fine. (Edited by Yves Clarisse)
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