“I absolutely do not regret what I did”, proclaims the former Elysee mission manager

At the Paris judicial court,

The three men had not seen each other since May 1, 2018. That day, Alexandre Benalla and Vincent Crase were following the Parisian police officers who were mobilized in numbers to prevent the actions of the black blocs whose presence had been announced by the services intelligence. Coming as observers, the two men distinguished themselves later in the afternoon when they participated in the arrest of Khélifa M., a young man suspected of having thrown stones at the forces of the ‘order. “I absolutely do not regret what I did that day, for me it is a pride to have contributed to the arrest of a police attacker”, explains at the bar the ex-in charge of mission of the Elysee.

However, one of the magistrates who questioned him this Wednesday, Judge Edmond Brunaud, wonders if the duo did not carry out the work of the police by doing so. “I did not carry out any police work, I did not feel him, I did not take his identity”, insists Benalla. However, several elements of the file suggest the opposite. The former collaborator of Emmanuel Macron assures that he was not wearing a police armband on his arm when he entered the plant garden. He even explains that he removed his helmet at the request of the police who wanted to go there to arrest thugs who had taken refuge there.

“Take him on board”

However, on the videos filmed by witnesses and relayed later in the press, we can clearly see an orange stain on his arm. “When I enter the garden, opposite Place Valhubert, there are CRS. People are throwing projectiles at them. In my memory, Khélifa M. kicks a falling CRS, ”says Benalla. “No one presented himself as a victim,” nevertheless underlines the lawyer of Khélifa M .. The young man, whose hair and beard have grown since the facts, has a completely different version. He affirms that he had returned to the garden of plants to take shelter, after a crowd movement. Two men came towards him. One of them, whom he claims to be Vincent Crase, then hit him with a baton in the shin. He fled in a cloud of tear gas.

Khélifa M. is found lying on the ground, her eyes burning under the effect of the gas. After being picked up, a man twisted his right arm while another grabbed his left arm. A policeman came to offer to clean his eyes with serum. But the two men who hold it refuse. One of them then shouts to an agent: “embark him. In his mind, it could only be the police. It was only much later, when he discovered the photos and videos in the press, that he understood that it was Alexandre Benalla and Vincent Crase, and filed a complaint.

“I find that what I did was legitimate”

The court projects a photo of the young man, firmly held by the two defendants, who seems to be screaming. “Seeing the photo, we say to ourselves that the guy is wrong,” said judge Edmond Brunaud. “I have never struck a baton” to Khélifa M., swears Crase who nevertheless admits that he held one in his hand. Reservist in the gendarmerie, he assures that it was given to him by Alexandre Benalla, which the latter denies. Crase also does not understand what he is criticized for. “I do not think I have been completely outside the law”, he proclaims, referring to “a reflex act of citizen”. His co-defendant insists: “In general, I find that what I did was legitimate. “

And Alexandre Benalla to add: “I am unhappy and sorry when I see people being attacked in the metro. […] and no one to intervene and lend them a hand. Article 73 says that any citizen can apprehend the perpetrator of a flagrant crime or misdemeanor. The trial of Alexandre Benalla is to last until October 1. He faces up to seven years in prison and a 100,000 euros fine.

Follow the trial live on our journalist’s twitter account @TiboChevillard


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