Chirac Questioned in “Fake Jobs” Scandal

A French magistrate questioned former President Jacques Chirac yesterday on the role he allegedly played in a political fundraising scandal.  Chirac, who served as mayor of Paris from 1977-1995 before becoming president, is believed to be at the center of a plot to divert government funds to political allies as well as party coffers.  The investigation is the first in what many believe will be a series of corruption probes Chirac will face and comes just over a month after his presidential immunity expired. 

The scandal concerns millions of dollars of salaries that were distributed by the mayor’s office to Chiracs’s conservative party allies in bogus positions.  A related plot in which local businessmen bribed housing affairs officials, resulted in the 2004 conviction of Alain Juppe, Chirac’s former prime minister.  Chirac took the extraordinary step of maintaining his innocence in a column written in Thursday’s edition of the French newspaper “Le Monde.”  In the article Chirac explains that campaign laws during his term as mayor were uncertain, and that he had fought for reform and transparency while in office.

The questioning marks the first time in the history of the French Fifth Republic that a president has been subjecting to such an inquiry.  The former president was called to testify as an “assisted witness” and not as an ordinary witness, leaving open the possibility that a formal criminal inquiry will be initiated. Chirac, who was afforded the presence of his attorney, Jean Veil, was questioned for a total of four hours.  “The former head of state explained himself very completely, very calmly, in a climate of great courtesy and simplicity," Veil told reporters.

Chirac also faces potential investigations for a number of other alleged scandals.  Along with former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, he has refused to speak on the “Clearstream Affair” the code name given to a plot to smear the image of current President Nicolas Sarkozy.  It is also believed the Chirac had a hand in the 1995 killing of a French judge in Djbouti.  Chirac’s office however maintains that his constitutionally derived immunity shields him from testifying on matters that occurred when he was president. “The president of the republic shall incur no liability by reason of acts carried out in this official capacity,” said Veil.

For more information, please see:

“Chirac quizzed in corruption probe” CNN.com
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/07/19/france.chirac.ap/index.html 19 July 2007

“Judge questions Chirac on party scandal” Associated Press
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070719/ap_on_re_eu/france_chirac;_ylt=As4A9SU3anrnf4.Q14WXAUB0bBAF 19 July 2007

“Jacques in the box” The Economist
http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9530551 19 July 2007

“Chirac faces Paris scandal judge” BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6906120.stm 19 July 2007

“Judge Questions Former French President in Political Funding Case” New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/19/world/europe/19cnd-france.html 19 July 2007

“Chirac defends actions as 'customary' fund-raising” International Herald Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/19/news/chirac.php 19 July 2007