Bettencourt case: after Woerth, Ouart and Courroye in the eye of the storm?

This morning, for this French news page, business is picking up again! Good shenanigans Made In France! I add music with the Surfs. Besides, that's good, since we were just talking justice and these staff..., which in 2011 will therefore, as we learned thanks to rue 89, certainly not be reduced, but neither increased with regard to the magistrates, yes it is clever; ). But they seem quite valiant, and as we had rated well determined. So it is Patrick Ouart, former legal adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy. And since 2009, adviser to Bernard Arnault, CEO de LVMH and friend of the Head of State, Who is now in the spotlight, you will see that he is a discreet man like Claude Gueant, but devilishly useful... Marianne also returns to the role of the prosecutor Courroye that we have repeatedly questioned about the appointment of a judge for this file. Finally, notwithstanding the obstacles that one erects in one's way, just as in the case Karachi, justice is on its way, and we can be proud of some of its representatives. I let you appreciate Marianne's article this morning (and a thought for Stéphane Guillon, the great era!, Additional info)

The Head of State likes to talk about the responsibility of magistrates. He forgets that the interventions of political power in the Bettencourt affair have also undermined the credibility of justice.

Bettencourt case, the return. According Le Monde, Eric Woerth's home was recently raided by the Financial Brigade at the request of the Bordeaux judges now in charge of the case under the leadership of Jean-Michel Gentil. The fact is confirmed to Mediapart, by Me Jean-Yves Leborgne, lawyer for the person concerned.
Eric Woerth is involved in three judicial inquiries : one for illegal financing of a political party as part of Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 campaign, the other for influence peddling for having awarded the Legion of Honor in January 2008 to Patrice de Maistre, Liliane's wealth manager Bettencourt… and ex-boss of Ms. Woerth. And finally a last one for laundering tax evasion Eric Woerth is not currently indicted. His parliamentary immunity prevents him for the moment from being arrested or from undergoing any custodial measure.

But the minister is not the only one involved in this affair. Another character widely involved in the case has appeared in the procedure, it is Patrick Ouart, former legal adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy. Since 2009, he has been an adviser to Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH and friend of the Head of State. Patrick Ouart is also a member of the group's executive committee. His office at the headquarters of the luxury group as well as his private home were searched according to LePoint.fr. He was also interviewed by the police. His legal acts were confirmed to Marianne2 by the Bordeaux prosecutor's office, which however did not wish to communicate on the elements found.

Much less in the spotlight than Eric Woerth, Patrick Ouart is nevertheless a central figure in the case. His name was mentioned several times in the conversation recordings between Liliane Bettencourt and Patrice de Maistre revealed by The Point and Mediapart. Patrick Ouart, real “Minister of Justice bis”, would thus have given information to Patrice de Maistre on the progress of the complaint for "abuse of weakness" filed by the Bettencourt daughter against François-Marie Banier. In July 2009, Patrice de Maistre made these remarks to Lilliane Bettencourt speaking of Patrick Ouart, as " the legal adviser, at the Elysée, whom I see regularly for you ».

Ouart, the man of the Elysée

« He told me that the prosecutor Courroye was going to announce on September 3, normally, that your daughter's request was inadmissible. So close the case. But don't tell anyone this time. Let the lawyers work. So. It's better that I hear that than anything else. So I'm in a good mood “, he announced to the heiress of L’Oréal. Ouart and de Maistre were obviously well informed since Phillipe Courroye will consider this complaint (in direct quote) inadmissible. In vain, since the court of Nanterre will finally examine it, starting point of an epic legal battle (parallel to the political aspect of the case) which will end in December by an agreement signed between the mother and daughter Bettencourts.

In April 2010, Patrick Ouart is already at LVMH but he is still in contact with de Maistre. This last report to Lilliane Bettencourt: “ I saw, uh, Nicolas Sarkozy's former adviser for legal and judicial affairs, Patrick Ouart, who is no longer at the Elysée but who has not been replaced and who works for Bernard Arnault, and who loves me very much. And he wanted to see me the other day and he said to me, Mr. de Maistre, the president is continuing to follow this very closely... (...) And in the first instance, nothing can be done more, but we can tell you that in the Court of Appeal, if you lose, we know the prosecutor very, very well (…) ».

This is Philippe Ingall-Montagnier, the Attorney General. But de Maistre also explicitly quoted the prosecutor Courroye, another key figure in the case. Appointed in March 2007 as head of the Nanterre prosecution against the advice of the CSM, he was accused of being linked to political power in the management of this file. Having opened various preliminary investigations into these cases since June 2010, he has long obstructed the appointment of an independent judge. Before giving up at the end of October of the same year at the request of his superior, the Attorney General of Versailles. Her tumultuous relationship with Judge Isabelle Prévost-Desprez who wanted to investigate on the famous recordings will lead the Court of Cassation to disorient the affairs of Nanterre in Bordeaux last November.

Belt sleeps peacefully

The attitude of Philippe Courroye was particularly controversial on two occasions. In June, Marianne revealed that he had in his hands, as of March 2008, all the elements necessary to alert the tax authorities and trigger an investigation » on a possible tax evasion of Mrs. Bettencourt regarding the property of the Island of Arros but did nothing. The prosecution replied that it had reported the anomaly to the tax authorities… in January 2009. Almost a year after being alerted. In July 2010, he will finally open a preliminary investigation for laundering tax evasion. A delay in ignition which raises questions about the real intentions of the prosecutor.

The Bettencourt affair therefore does not only show the links between politics and great fortunes but the links between political power and justice. Because Nicolas Sarkozy has his good heads in the judiciary. If he hastened to ask for " sanctions »against magistrates and justice personnel at fault in the Pornic affair, Philippe Courroye, he can sleep soundly.

source: Marianne2.fr