The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation after a complaint from a journalist from the chained duck denouncing the existence of a fictitious job within the famous satirical weekly. “We have a preliminary investigation in progress, entrusted to the Financial and Open Brigade of the heads of abuse of social property and concealment of abuse of social property”, confirmed the prosecution following information from the World and of French Radio. Several sources indicated that hearings had been carried out recently by the investigators.
Originally, a complaint against X by Christophe Nobili, one of the journalists of the chained duck at the origin of the revelations during the 2017 presidential campaign on the suspicions of fictitious employment concerning Penelope Fillon with her husband François Fillon.
Three million euros in salary unduly paid?
Christophe Nobili, whom AFP could not reach, would have discovered that the companion of a former cartoonist and administrator of the weekly would have benefited for two decades from a remuneration from the newspaper without working for it. The world mentions three million euros in salary which would have been unduly paid.
“It’s not a complaint against the newspaper. Christophe Nobili is acting in perfect coherence with what the “Chained Duck” has always been, against a system put in place by a few which harms the newspaper both morally and financially”, indicated Me Maria Cornaz Bassoli, his lawyer with Me Pierre-Olivier Lambert. “It took a lot of courage for him to file a complaint,” she insisted.
Nicolas Brimo, publishing director of chained duck, told AFP: “We were neither heard nor summoned, we are not aware of what exactly is in the complaint; we don’t even know (its) exact date”. “There was a meeting between lawyers four months ago and since then we have never heard of it. We gave explanations, I understood that these explanations did not satisfy, that’s why he filed a complaint, ”he said. And to conclude: “If there are explanations to be given, we will of course give them to the police and to our readers”.