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The High Commissioner for Planning, close to the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, has always strongly contested accusations of misappropriation of European public funds.
The Court found that no document in the file shows that François Bayrou gave instructions to MEPs for the hiring of parliamentary assistants. He also considers that there is no evidence to prove that François Bayrou was aware of the non-execution of the 10 disputed parliamentary assistant contracts.
Two other defendants were also acquitted, while the eight others, including five former MEPs, were sentenced to sentences ranging from 10 to 18 months in prison, fines of 10,000 to 50,000 euros and two years. of suspended ineligibility. The UDF was fined 150,000 euros, including 100,000 euros, and the MoDem was fined 350,000 euros, 300,000 euros.
30 months imprisonment required
The prosecution had requested against him 30 months of suspended imprisonment, a fine of 70,000 euros and three years of suspended ineligibility, for complicity, by instigation, in the embezzlement of European public funds.
The High Commissioner for Planning, close to the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, is suspected of having been the “primary decision maker” of a “fraudulent system” which consisted, between 2005 and 2017, of using European funds to pay parliamentary assistants who in reality worked for centrist organizations in France. At issue: 11 disputed contracts, for a total damage of 293,000 euros according to the European Parliament, civil party.
Accusations that François Bayrou has always strongly contested. On the stand, he denounced a “poisoning” judicial, refuting at length the existence of any “system” for the benefit of his party.