The 75 year old French president Jacques Chirac is likely to be bsuy even after he leaves the presidential office in May this year, fighting decades old cases. The cases come to haunt him at a time when he will not have immunity as president any more.
The cases are related to scandals that took place in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Allegations of inserting fictional employees in the rolls, forged electoral lists and suitcases filled with cash pertaining to the period of Chirac’s years as mayor of Paris have come to public knowledge in recent times.
It may be recalled here that Alain Juppe, who was the French prime minister between 1995 and 1997 and a close associate of president Chirac, was convicted in one of the trials in 2004. Juppe was Chirac’s deputy in City Hall and the conviction was in the same party-funding scandal now threatening Chirac.
Chirac’s political life is riddled with charges of corruption. Of all the scandals, the one related to the names of members of Chirac’s Gaullist party appearing in the payrolls of municipal services and companies that donated heavily to the party in the form of salaries, is the most dangerous for Chirac, lawyers say.
A party-financing case in Nanterre is set to annoy the outgoing president as one of the main pieces of evidence against him is a letter signed by Chirac himself. In the letter Chirac has recommended promotion of a secretary in the city government for ‘exemplary devotion’ and her ‘delicate role’ in Gaullist party.
The judicial system in France has long been criticized for ties with the political parties and leaders in power. Scandals are a regular feature of administration. Few of them have been subjected to investigations and even fewer convicted.
