Appeal trial of François and Penelope Fillon: decision on May 9, 2022 – LCI

The Paris Court of Appeal put its decision under advisement on May 9, 2022, Tuesday at the end of the appeal trial of François Fillon, his wife Penelope and his ex-deputy Marc Joulaud, in the case of suspicions fictitious jobs targeting Penelope Fillon.

On the last day of the hearing, the defense again pleaded for release. The day before, the general prosecutor had requested 5 years in prison including a firm under electronic bracelet and a 375,000 euros fine against François Fillon, two years suspended prison sentence and 100,000 euros fine against Penelope Fillon and three years suspended against Marc Joulaud.

The case of the suspicion of fictitious jobs of Penelope Fillon is that of “people (who) have enriched themselves illegally”, had Monday the accusation at the appeal trial of François Fillon, his wife and his ex-deputy Marc Joulaud. “Putting the PNF on trial is an illusion to try to hide the seriousness of the facts from the defendants”, had attacked Advocate General Yves Micolet in his indictment.

The three defendants were retried since November 15 for embezzlement of public funds, complicity or concealment of this offense in particular, concerning three employment contracts of Penelope Fillon as parliamentary assistant between 1998 and 2013. Total compensation: more than 612,000 euros net.

At the bar of the court of appeal, they repeated one after another that Penelope Fillon had done a real job as “field worker” in the constituency of Sarthe where François Fillon had been elected deputy. The defendants assured that the discreet Franco-Galloise maintained the “trust relationship” with the inhabitants by participating in local events, by managing the mail that arrived at their homes or by preparing “memos”. If there are so few traces left, it is because it was mainly a job “oral”, they argued.

At first instance, the former tenant of Matignon was sentenced on June 29, 2020 to five years’ imprisonment, two of which were firm, a fine of 375,000 euros and ten years of ineligibility. Penelope Fillon was given a three-year suspended prison sentence, a 375,000 euros fine and two years of ineligibility and Mr. Joulaud, 54, three years suspended, 20,000 euros suspended fine and 5 years of ineligibility.