At the Elysee polls trial, the defense pleads “anachronism”, before the judgment of January 21, 2022 – archyworldys

A “Custom”, the’“State of the law”, a “Rule which did not apply at the time” … Alternately, Wednesday 10 November, at 13^e and last day of the Elysee polls trial, the lawyers hammered out the same argument before the 32^e Paris correctional chamber: when Nicolas Sarkozy’s cabinet signed, in 2007 and 2008, the contracts with Publifact, the company of Patrick Buisson, and Giacometti Péron, that of Pierre Giacometti, no advertising or competition rule contracts awarded by the Presidency.

“We proceed as an anachronism, we ask your court to say the law of today, which would apply in 2007”, summarized M^e Jean-Charles Mirande, lawyer for the company Ipsos, one of the main providers of polls for the Elysée, at the time, prosecuted for “Concealment of favoritism”. The other councils make the same reasoning, referring in particular to the famous “Boissonis note”, document dating from the mandate of General de Gaulle (1959-1969), which evoked the “Extremely flexible mode” management of the Elysee Palace, which did not account for its expenses.

All of them pleaded for the release of their clients, whether they are the providers of external advice, Pierre Giacometti and Patrick Buisson, or the entourage of the Head of State: his secretary general, Claude Guéant, his chief of staff , Emmanuelle Mignon, and the “opinion” technical advisor, Julien Vaulpré. The day before, the prosecution’s requisitions, severe, demanded prison sentences against Mr. Guéant and Mr. Buisson, heavy fines for the companies of the latter or for the Ipsos polling institute; a suspended sentence for Mr. Giacometti and fines for Emmanuelle Mignon and Julien Vaulpré.

“Trial around an absentee”

“It’s a trial around an absentee, because of an absentee, but not that of an absentee”, noted Philippe Bouchez-El Ghozi, adviser to Claude Guéant, in an allusion to Nicolas Sarkozy, who enjoys presidential immunity in this case. According to the lawyer, Mr. Guéant did “What to carry out the instructions” of the Head of State, by contracting with Mr. Buisson and Mr. Giacometti for consulting services and, in the case of Mr. Buisson, the provision of opinion polls. Mr. Guéant was “The control tower, not the pilot, not the mechanic or customs” of the Elysee Palace, believes Mr. Bouchez-El Ghozi. He puts the blame on the boss of the financial services of the Elysee at the time, Daniel Revel, to whom Mr. Guéant transmitted the contract and who deemed it valid.

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