Les Sables d’Olonne, May 4, 2012. Nicolas Sarkozy during a campaign meeting for the 2012 presidential election. – ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
- Postponed due to the coronavirus in March, the trial of the so-called “Bygmalion” case resumed on May 20 before the 11th chamber of the Paris judicial tribunal.
- Former UMP executives, responsible for the 2012 campaign and leaders of the Bygmalion company: in total, 14 people are on trial for this case of false invoices, including the former head of state Nicolas Sarkozy, who faces a penalty one year in prison.
- During the first days of hearings, the court became certain that a system of false invoices had indeed been put in place. It remains to be seen who had the idea and who was informed.
At the Paris judicial court,
He had said no twice. But the third time, Nicolas Sarkozy sent Brice Hortefeux. And Philippe Briand ended up resigning himself. The mayor of Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire (Indre-et-Loire) came, Tuesday, to tell the Paris judicial court, how much he “regretted” to have accepted to chair the Association for the financing of the campaign by Nicolas Sarkozy (AFCNS), during the 2012 presidential election. “If I had known all that …”
Because “that” is the Bygmalion affair. “That” is what earned him to appear for “use of forgery”, “breach of trust”, “swindle” and “complicity in illegal campaign financing”. “That” is what makes him face a five-year prison sentence today. Like thirteen other defendants. But to tell the truth, this 60-year-old man with the posture as straight as the haircut clashes in the courtroom of the 11th chamber of the tribunal. As if it didn’t fit with the rest of the landscape …
Philippe Briand is obviously not on the side of the former leaders of Bygmalion. No more than among the officials of the UMP at the time. Moreover, he did not have a prestigious function in the party in 2012. And then, above all, he is not in the camp still loyal to the former head of state and who is being tried for that … “I was not a sarkozyst, he swings from the start of his hearing to show that nothing has changed in this regard. At the time, I owed him nothing. And today, I don’t owe him anything either! “
The support of a Chiraquian for Sarkozy in question
To hear him, the only problem is not having been able to say “no”. No to Brice Hortefeux. In February 2012, he asked her to lend a hand to his mentor, Nicolas Sarkozy. Philippe Briand does not lack work then. He is mayor of Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, deputy, quaestor at the National Assembly, president of the agglomeration of Tours and business manager …
His voice tinged with emotion, he also says that he lost his wife four months earlier and that he must therefore take care of his three children alone. “But Brice Hortefeux tells me that the political family is broken up, that I am known as Chiraquien and that my support is important …” Philippe Briand therefore agrees to come to the UMP, every Tuesday afternoon, to take stock of the situation. the campaign account.
A note of one million euros for 10 meetings
Here he is, moreover, who explains that about twenty minutes was sufficient for him to sign the initials… Caroline Viguier, the president of the 11th chamber, wonders. She obviously wonders how the president of the Fundraising Association did not see the system of false invoices which allowed the candidate of the right to explode the spending limit authorized by law.
“It’s simple, I was just the payer. Not the one in charge! Not the one who orders, he says. Seven accountants checked the supporting documents. I looked if it was good and I signed… ”Reason for which one finds its mark on an invoice of one million euros corresponding to ten meetings between the two turns. “I did not see it as malicious,” he blurted out. And too bad if the costs were actually much higher …
He would have balanced Cope and Sarkozy
But Philippe Briand has his good faith pegged to the body. And we say to ourselves that a man who has built a real estate empire and employs 20,000 people today must know how to do the accounts. President Caroline Viguier asks and repeats the question. But “at the risk of appearing heavy”, he maintains that he was aware of nothing. Here he is, moreover, balancing that he would not have hesitated to seize the prosecutor if he had heard of something. “I would have gone to see Jean-François Cope and Nicolas Sarkozy,” he blurted out.
Like every day since May 20, Caroline Viguier must then tell herself that she will not get more today on this affair. But like every day, she must also tell herself that she must go higher in the organization chart to try to untangle the web of responsibilities. It’s planned. Jean-François Copé must be heard as a simple witness this Wednesday. As for Nicolas Sarkozy, his turn will come on Tuesday, June 15. He incurs in this case a sentence of one year in prison and a 3,750 euro fine.
Follow this trial live on our journalist’s Twitter account: @vvantighem