Chirac first former French president to go on trial

JACQUES Chirac became the first former French president to go on trial as a court heard charges he embezzled public funds while he was mayor of Paris in the 1990s.

The 78-year-old, one of France’s most popular political figures, was not present for the opening of the trial that will examine whether he misused public money to pay people working for his political party.

Chirac enjoyed immunity from prosecution as president from 1995 to 2007, but the case, which has already seen current Foreign Minister Alain Juppé convicted, has finally caught up with him.

Chirac, who was Paris mayor from 1977 to 1995, was scheduled to make his first appearance today after a first day given over to procedural matters.

The hearings got under way with the judge reading out the charges to a packed court in central Paris. Proceedings were held up for several minutes as lawyers and civil plaintiffs squabbled over seats.

In a bid to have the trial postponed even before Chirac’s appearance, a lawyer representing one of his co-defendants asked the judge to refer a procedural matter to France’s constitutional court.

Chirac has denied any knowledge of corrupt payments and his lawyers accuse magistrates of harbouring a hidden political agenda.

He has been linked to a series of corruption scandals but never convicted. If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine of €150,000 on charges including embezzlement and breach of trust.

The case involves seven alleged ghost jobs for which Chirac is charged with conflict of interest and 21 other jobs for which he is accused of embezzlement and abuse of trust.

Nine other people are going on trial alongside Chirac, accused either of having ghost jobs or benefiting from those of town hall employees.

Chirac denies the people employed in the jobs were used to prepare for the 1995 presidential election, which he went on to win, insisting they were all legitimate posts in the service of Paris.

Jean-Yves La Borgne, a lawyer working for Chirac’s former chief of staff Remy Chardon, said under the constitution the accusations in one of two cases can no longer be heard since they date back too far — to the early 1990s.

The judge may agree to submit the question for constitutional ruling. This process could delay the trial for months. A decision is expected today.