Another Macron minister has to go to court

Another Macron minister has to go to court

The Minister of Justice, the Minister of Labor and a senator are on trial in France for various offenses within the space of a month. The proceedings are tarnishing the public image of Macron's cabinet. So far, however, the French president has held on to his ministers.

After the French Minister of Justice, the French Minister of Labor is now also on trial. The 45-year-old Olivier Dussopt is suspected of having favored a water supply company in the awarding of a public contract in 2009 during his time as a member of parliament and mayor in the small town of Annonay in the south of France.

The minister rejects the accusations. "I am here to answer the court and prove my good intentions," said Dussopt when he arrived in court. He reminded the court that four of the original five accusations were dropped. What remains, however, is the suspicion of favoritism. Specifically, he is said to have given the company boss confidential information about the tender in 2009.

Gifts and a customized order

According to the investigators' findings, he also had the criteria for the tender changed - so that a company that had submitted a more expensive bid was ultimately awarded the contract worth 5.6 million euros. If convicted, the minister could face up to two years in prison. The affair came to light in 2020 after the investigative magazine Mediapart reported that Dussopt had received two works of art as a gift from the company in 2017, shortly before a new contract was signed between the municipality and the water supplier.

According to judicial circles, the investigation into this matter was dropped because the artworks were not very valuable and Dussopt had not intervened in the awarding of the contract. However, during a house search, minutes of a conversation from 2009 were found showing that the mayor had informed the company boss about the tender. An email was also found in which Dussopt asked his employees to adjust the criteria. The defense is expected to argue that the incident is time-barred. However, the public prosecutor's office emphasizes that the incident was deliberately concealed.

Other members of Macron's government on trial

For President Emmanuel Macron, who ran on the promise of an "exemplary republic", the second court case against a minister in office within a month is a serious setback. For Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, who is considered one of the pillars of Macron's cabinet, the public prosecutor's office has just demanded a year's suspended prison sentence. The minister is said to have attempted to have several senior judicial officials and former opponents from his time as a lawyer sanctioned. Dupond-Moretti denies this. The verdict of a special court for members of the government is expected on November 29.

In France, a senator from the government camp also made headlines for having slipped ecstasy powder into the champagne of a member of parliament. The 66-year-old Joël Guerriau is accused of administering a mind-altering substance to the woman without her knowledge in order to make her sexually submissive. The senator had the allegations denied by his lawyer.

Macron holds on to ministers

At the beginning of Macron's first term in office, the start of an investigation was enough to remove a member of the government from office. Two ministers had to resign after just a few weeks as a result. Another minister, who had cheated on his declaration of assets, remained in office until his conviction. The rules have since been relaxed.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has repeatedly expressed her confidence in the two accused ministers and referred to the presumption of innocence. It is considered likely that Macron will part ways with current Justice Minister Dupond-Moretti if he is convicted. However, some do not rule out that he will remain in office if he appeals and the verdict is not final.

1. The ongoing trials of Ministers of Justice and Labor in France, along with a senator, are fueling allegations of corruption within President Emmanuel Macron's government.
2. France's Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, is currently being tried for allegedly favoring a water supply company in 2009, amid claims of corruption and favoritism.
3. Theховский scandal, involving France's Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti and accusations of attempting to have senior judicial officials and former opponents sanctioned, underscores the ongoing issue of affairs and scandals plaguing the French government.

Source: www.ntv.de