“Embezzlement of public funds”, “passive influence peddling”… The prosecution accuses Thierry Solère of five new offenses. The LREM deputy from Hauts-de-Seine and adviser to Emmanuel Macron was indicted on Monday for five new offenses, the Nanterre prosecution said on Thursday.
The elected official is notably suspected of having used part of his mandate expenses for personal purposes between 2012 and 2019. Thierry Solère, already prosecuted in particular for “tax fraud” following a judicial investigation opened in 2019, is at also present for “embezzlement of public funds”, “passive influence peddling” and breaches of reporting obligations to the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP).
The chosen one proclaims his innocence
“New unfounded accusations”, reacted to AFP his lawyers Mes Jean Reinhart, Mathias Chichportich and Marion Lambert-Barret, saying that their client was “innocent of any offense”.
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 a collaborator at the Assembly, from 2016 to 2017.
Suspicious procurement
On the other hand, for the employment of his wife as a parliamentary collaborator between 2012 and 2017, Thierry Solère was placed under the less incriminating status of assisted witness.
The 50-year-old elected official was also indicted for “passive influence peddling”, suspected of having “used his influence to obtain contracts” for real estate companies between 2007 and 2017 and to a consulting company between 2011 and 2012.
Withdrawal of parliamentary immunity
This file dates back to 2016, when a complaint from Bercy was filed for “tax evasion” and then a preliminary investigation opened. Thierry Solère was then spokesperson 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 The investigation was then extended to other offenses and the elected official had his parliamentary immunity withdrawn in July 2018.
“After nearly six years of investigation, the investigation continues its headlong rush,” his lawyers estimated on Thursday, affirming “that the false loans which had justified the lifting of our client’s parliamentary immunity are not the subject of ‘no prosecution’. They specified that a hearing would take place at the beginning of March before the chamber of the instruction for “nullities of procedure”.