ex President Chirac guilty of embezzlement

Chirac Found Guilty in Political Funding Case

By STEVEN ERLANGER

Published: December 15, 2011




PARIS — Former French President Jacques Chirac, 79, was convicted on Thursday of embezzlement and misuse of public funds to illegally finance his political party using fake jobs when he was mayor of Paris.


Patrick Kovarik/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Jacques Chirac







Mr. Chirac, who was not present at the trial because of reported health and memory problems, received a two-year suspended sentence from the judges.
While beloved by many as a grandfather figure, Mr. Chirac’s reputation will inevitably be stained. He is the first former French head of state to be prosecuted, let alone convicted, since Marshal Philippe Pétain, who collaborated with the Nazis, was convicted of treason in 1945.
“Your moral and political responsibility is immense,” said a lawyer for Mr. Chirac, Georges Kiejman, to the judges, while pleading for acquittal. “Your judgment will be the last image given of Jacques Chirac.”
The trial went forward despite the prosecution’s call for an acquittal. Mr. Chirac had denied all the charges, which stem from his period as mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995, when he was elected president. The city of Paris dropped its complaint against Mr. Chirac in return for a payment of more than $3 million, which was provided by Mr. Chirac and the governing Union for a Popular Movement party, the successor to Mr. Chirac’s party.
The anticorruption group Anticor became the prime plaintiff in the case.
Ten people were on trial in this case. Two were acquitted. The others were sentenced to a few months of suspended prison sentences.
Mr. Chirac had been protected by immunity from all prosecutions while he was president of France, and after he left office in 2007, his lawyers have fought to avoid a trial.
The current foreign minister, Alain Juppé, was a deputy financial adviser to Mr. Chirac at city hall and was general secretary of his party. Mr. Juppé was convicted in 2004 on similar charges; he received an 18-month suspended jail sentence and lost the right to run for political office for 10 years. He appealed and had his sentence reduced.

About time!

Berlusconi next ????????

Angelina wrote:About time!

Berlusconi next ????????

Hi Angelina,

Chirac is now 79 so will not serve his sentence but what is heartening is that the embezzlement was 30 years ago but it didn"t stop him being tried.

Berlesconi is loaded, he has I think a T.V. Station , a big block of Flats and another Business and never wanted to leave Parliament because that is whweere he did a lot of business. However, while he made his fortune he was very flamboyant so now he has ruled over a Country which is broke and History will show how bad a President he was.