Doubts about bogus jobs: Two ex-parliamentary assistants of Melenchon have been moved to the status of supporting witnesses in the European Parliament.

Two former aides to Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the European Parliament were granted interim witness status in May in a judicial inquiry held in Paris into the employment conditions of aides to MEPs at La France insoumise (LFI), the agency reported. France-Presse (AFP) from sources close to the matter, on Tuesday, November 15.

According to these sources, Laurent Maffeis and Aigleine de Cousin, parliamentary assistants to Jean-Luc Melenchon between 2009 and 2017, were questioned by the investigating judges in charge of these investigations on May 13 and 16, respectively. They are the first and only people to date to be heard by investigating magistrates since the inquest was launched in November 2018. They were summoned to be heard as supporting witnesses in embezzlement and concealment of public funds. And to whitewash this crime, as well as breach of trust and concealment.

“In this case, we are taking advantage of supporting witness status, interim status, which indicates that there is no serious and consistent evidence against my clients.Their lawyer Jade Dusselin responded. After almost five years of investigation and extensive investigation, we can only welcome the placement in this status, which shows that there is no element of wrongdoing against Mr Mélenchon and his parliamentary aides. »

Unless they are subsequently charged, his clients will not be brought back to court. In 2017, the Paris prosecutor’s office opened a preliminary investigation into the employment conditions of LFI MEPs’ assistants following a report by MEP Sophie Montel, then a member of the National Front. Although the far-right party was the target of a judicial investigation of its MEP aides, an elected official in March 2017 indicted in Paris prosecutors about twenty MEPs from other parties, some of whom were MEP aides. in their respective political parties. In June of the same year, he made a report on M. Melenchon and his four assistants.

RN and Modem were also targeted for investigation

After the first report, Paris prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation in March for breach of trust against several elected officials, including some representatives of the defense ministry, which was then expanded in July to include the activities of a former member of the European Parliament. Left (2009-2017) and leader of the “rebels”. An inquiry into the conditions of employment of Modem MPs’ assistants was ordered by investigating judges in July 2017, and one targeting the LFI was ordered in November 2018.

In this court filing, the judges are trying to determine whether the aides paid with European credits were actually working for the European Parliament and not on tasks related to their party.

The investigation into the FN, which has since become the National Action (RN), and MoDem has since been closed. Twenty-nine elected officials and aides, including Marine and Jean-Marie Le Pen, have been indicted in the judicial inquiry targeting the RN, while fifteen, including François Bairoux, have been indicted in the case targeting the MoDem. Investigators from the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption and Financial and Tax Crimes have concluded that the far-right party and the centrist party created a system of embezzling European funds to pay off their employees. Damages to the European Parliament between 2009 and 2017 were estimated at €6.8 million for ex-RN and €1.4 million for MoDem.