At first instance, in a spectacular and unusual twist, Eric Dupont-Moretti, still a lawyer, had assured that his client was “guilty of having ordered the assassination of Hélène Pastor”. A few months later, Wojciech Janowski attacked him, assuring that he had pleaded guilty against his will. In an attempt to disentangle the true from the false, the Assize Court of Appeal of Bouches-du-Rhône, which is judging this resounding case until November 19, has requested the hearing as a witness of the Minister of Justice.
“President Patrick Ramaël announced this [mardi] morning during the hearing sending this letter to the Prime Minister to request the appearance of Mr. Dupont-Moretti ”, declared the court of appeal, confirming information from Nice morning.
His ex-client described as manipulative
Since October 18, the court has tried five of the alleged protagonists of the assassinations of Monegasque billionaire Hélène Pastor and her trusted man, Mohamed Darwich, on May 6, 2014, in Nice. Among them, the son-in-law of the businesswoman, Wojciech Janowski, an alleged sponsor, was sentenced to life in 2018.
Described as a manipulator by the prosecution, Wojciech Janowski has changed positions several times in this case. In police custody, he had confessed, before retracting and staying on this line throughout the first trial until the confession of his lawyer. He “is guilty of having ordered the assassination of Hélène Pastor. These words that you expected from him come out of my mouth, ”said Eric Dupond-Moretti.
This request would have little chance of success.
At the opening of this new trial, the ex-companion of Sylvia Ratkowski-Pastor, the billionaire’s daughter, again proclaimed his innocence, assuring that his former lawyer had “betrayed” and had “pleaded guilty to [s]in place ”. Wojciech Janowski’s current lawyer, Me Jean-Jacques Campana, did not wish to react to this letter.
For other lawyers present at the trial, however, this request for a summons has little chance of success. “The possible deposition of the Keeper of the Seals would pose a problem of professional secrecy. And if he were to introduce himself, I will not ask him the slightest question, because that would give credit to Janowski who has absolutely no more ”, responded Me Gérard Baudoux, one of the lawyers of Hélène Pastor’s son. , Gildo Pallanca-Pastor.
The Ministry of Justice referred to Matignon, who had not yet reacted on Tuesday afternoon.