Posted on 09/21/2010 10:55:06 PM PDT by Cincinna
The 77-year-old, whose presidency of France ran from 1995 until 2007, could face a ten-year prison sentence and 150,000-euro (£130,000) fine if found guilty. He will be the first modern French leader to face a corruption trial.
Mr Chirac faces charges of abuse of public funds while he was mayor of Paris. It is alleged that he paid 21 allies for doing non-existent jobs as part of his drive for power in the 1990s. Last month, the Socialist mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, agreed to drop the town hall's civil lawsuit against Mr Chirac in exchange for 2.2 million euros the amount of taxpayer's money it claimed was misused.
The ruling conservative UMP party agreed to foot two thirds of the bill while Mr Chirac will have to come up with the remaining 550,000 euros (£465,000) he allegedly misused between 1992 and 1995. Those were the last three years of his 18-year term as Paris mayor.
Despite the deal, the criminal lawsuit still stands, confirmed Jean Veil, Mr Chirac's lawyer, yesterday.
"Jacques Chirac will go before his judges; he has said so and nothing will change the situation," he told Europe 1 radio.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Saddam’s buddy. He was also the American liberals’ favorite Frenchman. The American left acted like he was as pure as the winter snow when he went around trying to rally everyone against America during the second gulf war.
*** FRENCH POLITICS AND CULTURE PING LIST *** FREEPMAIL ME IF YOU WANT TO JOIN ***
Gormer French President, Jacques Chirac, is in big trouble again.
Known for his sumptuous lifestyle and political corruption, as well as lining his own pockets, while long term Mayor of Paros, Chirac, now 77, faces the challenge of his life.
Known in France as “Jacques Iraq” for his pro-Arabist sentiments, and his implication in the disgraceful Oil for Food UN scandal, M. Chirac was supposedly pardoned, but it seems not to be true.
I am not sure if Sarko has the power to pardon him. Chirac remains an extremely popular figure in France, and Sarko’s popularity is polling in George Bush territory,
In France, they don’t call him Jacques Iraq for nothing.
Ghost payrolling? This is yet another thing that Chicago does better than Paris.
Send the old whore to prison. Or better yet... the guillotine.
Awww what a shame. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving America hater. Hope they lock him up and throw away the key.
Yup. He did everything to ridicule the US and became the posterchild of anti-Americanism. Had a hand in the Oil For Food scandal with the UN, and was in cahoots with Kofi Annan. Hope Chirac goes to jail, and becomes the girlfriend of a Mooslum.
Doubt he serves any jail time though.
Pity about Sarko, to me he is doing what he has to do for the future of France, of course France has suckled at the teat for so long they simply refuse to recognize that it cannot continue.
As for Chirac, it appears that France does not mind a corrupt politico as long as they are stylish..:D
Excellent!
I agree. He is getting trashed from within and without.
Lucky for Sarko, he still has two years, and the opposition, the Socialist Party has no ideas at all.
The polling is interesting. On “social issues ... entitlements, so-called “human rights” with the Gypsies or Roms, Sarko strikes out. But on National Securoty issues, he is at the top.
The strange thing is that the Socialist President Mitterand was our ally in the First Gulf War. Go figure!
Guillotine time?
Well ya can hope and dream now can’t ya?
Thanks Cincinna. “Jacques Iraq” is goin’ down...
Leni
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