Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> JURIST - The Paper Chase

Legal News

: JURIST - The Paper Chase

France judge orders probe of Chirac corruption allegations

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] A French judge on Friday placed former French president Jacques Chirac under preliminary investigation over allegations that he misused public funds while serving as mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995. Chirac is accused of financing the Rally for the Republic (RPR), now renamed as the Union for a Popular Movement, by illegally establishing fake city positions for party members to collect salaries totaling several million dollars. He met with Judge Jacques Gazeux Friday morning and was informed that he had been placed under formal investigation. Chirac has denied any wrongdoing but could face up to five years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors must now decide whether to bring formal charges. Chirac was ordered to stand trial on related charges of embezzlement and misuse of public funds in October. Following this order, Chirac will be the first former French president to stand trial since the formation of the current Republic in 1958. The charges were originally filed in 2007 after Chirac's presidency ended and he no longer had judicial immunity. In July 2007, French investigating magistrates questioned Chirac as a material witness in their probe of the corruption allegations.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on December 18, 2009 (boomark / email).