Pave: Not ME! Never Guilty

Le jour 175 de Sarko

FORMER FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER PASQUA ON TRIAL

PARIS November 5, 2007 (AFP) - Former French interior minister Charles Pasqua went on trial Monday on charges of using illegal funds to finance his rightwing party's 1999 successful campaign to the European parliament.

Pasqua is charged with illegal campaign financing, fraud and abuse of office in connection with the sale in 1995 of a casino in the Alpine Haute-Savoie region. Prosecutors believe Pasqua granted a license when he was interior minister to a close aide to run a casino in Annemasse in 1994 that was sold a year later at a substantial profit. Part of the profit from the sale, about 1.1 million euros (1.6 million dollars), went to the party's campaign coffers, according to prosecutors.

... While Pasqua, who served twice as interior minister under President Jacques Chirac [1986-1988 and 1993-1995], has been placed under investigation in connection with several shady dealings, it is the first time that a case against him has been brought to trial.*

Pasqua has denied any wrongdoing in the party funding case.

In a nation of political magouilleurs, M. Pasqua is that most unfortunate of exceptions -- a completely honest politician** constantly implicated in wrongdoing. He forgoes the classic French coupable mais non responsable*** defense, with its weak taint, and makes do with simply confirming his affirmations of innocence (and here and here and here).

As the sitting Sénateur des Hauts-de-Seine, M. Pasqua enjoys a limited parliamentary immunity† under the constitution.‡ We are curious how it is he has come to trial.

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* M. Pasqua was indicted April 5 of last year for "corruption with foreign public agents" and "serious influence peddling" in the opprobrious UN Oil-for-Personal Enrichment program.

† Title IV, Artlicle 26, ¶2: Aucun membre du Parlement ne peut faire l'objet, en matière criminelle ou correctionnelle, d'une arrestation ou de toute autre mesure privative ou restrictive de liberté qu'avec l'autorisation du Bureau de l'assemblée dont il fait partie. Cette autorisation n'est pas requise en cas de crime ou délit flagrant ou de condamnation définitive.

[No member of Parliament shall be arrested for a serious crime or other major offence, nor shall he be subjected to any other custodial or semi-custodial measure, without the authorization of the Bureau of the assembly of which he is a member. Such authorization shall not be required in the case of a serious crime or other major offence committed flagrante delicto or a final sentence.]

‡ A 2005 bill by Senator Patrice Gelard sought to amend the constitution to confer on former presidents the designation "Senator for life". Such a nick o' time designation was intended to protect Then-Jack, Now Ex-Jack from prosecutions in the many corruption investigations in which he is implicated.

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