Judges at the Department of Justice are quite common. But judges who search the Ministry of Justice, it is much less. Three magistrates from the Court of Justice of the Republic entered the offices of Place Vendôme this Thursday around 9 a.m., accompanied by gendarmes from the Paris research section.
They are investigating suspicions of “illegal taking of interests” targeting Eric Dupond-Moretti, on the sidelines of the so-called “wiretapping of Paul Bismuth” affair. While the former tenor of the bars could be summoned soon and risk an indictment, 20 minutes looks back on this whole affair …
Why is Eric Dupond-Moretti suspected of “illegal taking of interests”?
To fully understand where we are today, we must actually go back to June 24, 2020. That day, Point reveals that magistrates from the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) examined the detailed telephone bills of several lawyers in order to identify an alleged mole in the service of Nicolas Sarkozy in the so-called “Paul Bismuth eavesdropping” affair. They found nothing. But in the lot is Eric Dupond-Moretti who has not yet entered the government.
On July 1, Nicole Belloubet seized the General Inspectorate of Justice. But five days later, she was replaced by Eric Dupond-Moretti as Minister of Justice. Summer 2020 passes and on September 15, the Inspectorate finally delivers a 129-page report explaining that the analysis of detailed invoices by the magistrates was not illegal even if it denounces “some dysfunctions”.
Everyone expects the matter to end there. But on September 18, Eric Dupond-Moretti announces that he once again seizes the General Inspectorate of Justice “of an administrative investigation into two PNF magistrates” whose names, rare enough, he publicly quotes. In early October, several magistrates’ unions and the Anticor association filed a complaint against the minister, believing that he served his personal interests by demanding, in his capacity as minister, this new investigation by the General Inspectorate of Justice.
The unions also accuse the former tenor of the bars of having opened another administrative investigation against Edouard Levrault, a magistrate with whom he had trouble leaving when he was a lawyer.
Where is the investigation of the Court of Justice of the Republic?
On January 13, the Court of Justice of the Republic announced that it had opened a judicial investigation into the charge of “illegal taking of interests” targeting Eric Dupond-Moretti. It is the only body empowered to judge crimes committed by ministers in the course of their duties.
Until then, little information had filtered out on the work of three magistrates of the CJR. But in recent weeks, things have accelerated. On June 7, Jean Castex, the Prime Minister, was indeed heard on this subject by the magistrates. And this Thursday, the search of the offices of the Ministry of Justice shows that things are moving forward. According to several sources, Eric Dupond-Moretti could be summoned soon by the magistrates. Now hovers over him the risk of an indictment which would obviously weaken his position as minister.
A perspective that does not worry the minister if we are to believe those around him. ” He is serene in the face of this procedure for which he has always said to have exclusively followed the recommendations of his services composed of magistrates, thus indicates one of his relatives. The search takes place almost a year after the facts before the Court of Justice of the Republic, this late nature does not fail to surprise. “
Why is the name of Jean Castex mentioned in this file?
Since he is targeted by these accusations, Eric Dupond-Moretti has decided to deport himself in favor of Jean Castex. It is therefore the Prime Minister who now manages this file, as he does for certain cases in which Eric Dupond-Moretti was involved when he was a lawyer. To prevent the latter from being in a position of conflict of interest. It is for this reason that the Prime Minister was heard by the Court of Justice of the Republic on June 7.
#PNF #Fadettes : And there, one Friday, around 5:36 p.m., with more than a month behind the announced schedule, Jean Castex announces that he finally seized the Superior Council of the Magistracy of the cases of Eliane Houlette and Patrice Amar in the case known as “fadettes” … pic.twitter.com/6oE8sqSyof
– Vincent Vantighem (@vvantighem) March 26, 2021
And the inspection targeting the PNF magistrates in all of this …
After two inquiries from the General Inspectorate of Justice, Jean Castex finally appealed to the Superior Council of the Judiciary. After a first procedural failure, he seized it on April 17 to verify that the magistrates of the national financial prosecutor’s office had acted within the rules. According to our information, the work of the CSM on this subject is progressing. Several hearings have already taken place. A disciplinary hearing could take place by the end of the year. The magistrates concerned always ensure that they acted within the rules.