The elected LREM from Hauts-de-Seine, adviser to Emmanuel Macron, is notably suspected of having used part of his mandate expenses for personal purposes between 2012 and 2019.
The LREM deputy for Hauts-de-Seine and adviser to Emmanuel Macron, Thierry Solère, was indicted on Monday for five new offenses, suspected in particular of having used part of his mandate expenses for personal purposes between 2012 and 2019, said the Nanterre prosecutor’s office on Thursday, requested by AFP.
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In this judicial investigation opened in 2019, Mr. Solère, already prosecuted in particular for “tax fraud“, was indicted for”embezzlement of public funds“, for “passive influence peddlingand for breaches of reporting obligations to the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (HATVP). From “new unfounded accusations“, reacted to AFP his lawyers Mes Jean Reinhart, Mathias Chichportich and Marion Lambert-Barret, affirming that their client was”innocent of any offense“.
Heard by two judges
The elected official was heard over two days by two investigating judges, on January 28 and 31. These judges suspect him of having dipped into his mandate fees to pay fines, running costs or subscriptions to organizations. They are also interested in the employment of his mother-in-law as an assistant to the Assembly, from 2016 to 2017. On the other hand, for the employment of his wife as a parliamentary assistant between 2012 and 2017, Mr. Solère was placed under the less incriminating status of assisted witness.
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The 50-year-old elected official was also indicted for “passive influence peddling“, suspected of having “used its influence to secure contracts» to real estate companies between 2007 and 2017 and to a consulting company between 2011 and 2012. This file dates back to 2016, when a complaint from Bercy had been filed for «tax fraudthen an open preliminary investigation. Mr. Solère was then spokesman for the LR presidential candidate François Fillon. The investigation was then extended to other offenses and the elected official had his parliamentary immunity withdrawn in July 2018.
In February 2019, the investigation was entrusted to investigating judges, then Thierry Solère indicted, in particular for tax evasion, fictitious employment and illicit financing of electoral expenses. “After almost six years of investigation, the instruction continues its headlong rush“, estimated Thursday his lawyers, affirming”that the false loans which had justified the lifting of the parliamentary immunity of our client are not the subject of any prosecution“. They specified that a hearing would take place at the beginning of March before the investigating chamber for “nullities of procedure“.