Chirac refuses questions in scandal case

The former French president refuses to be questioned in a probe into an apparent scandal during his tenure as president.

Izvor: AP

Saturday, 23.06.2007.

13:10

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Chirac refuses questions in scandal case

Chirac faces a slew of potential legal problems now that he no longer has presidential immunity, which expired a week ago. He handed over power to new President Nicolas Sarkozy on May 16.

In the first case, investigating judges want to question Chirac about the so-called Clearstream affair, his office said in a statement. The murky scandal centered on damaging but false allegations that Sarkozy—a one-time Chirac protege who later became a political rival—had secret bank accounts.

Chirac's office said that, because he enjoyed constitutionally guaranteed judicial immunity while he was president, he cannot "be ordered to provide testimony" about incidents that happened during his tenure.

The former president wrote to the investigating judges to inform them of his position, the statement said Friday. Chirac reiterated his denial of wrongdoing in the Clearstream case. The statement added that he was at the judges' disposal to answer questions about cases from before his tenure as president.

In the second case, Le Parisien newspaper reported Saturday that judge Alain Philibeaux has asked to question Chirac about a "fake jobs" party financing scandal in which operatives from his former party, Rally for the Republic, were illegally on the Paris city payroll. The equivalent of millions of dollars in salaries and fees were doled out.

Benedicte Brissard, a spokeswoman for Chirac, declined to comment on Le Parisien's report, which said the former president would likely be questioned outside the courthouse, for added privacy. However, the Friday statement from Chirac's office suggested that he would likely accept any summons in the case, because it predates his presidency.

While the 74-year-old Chirac is unlikely to go to jail, the legal woes are an embarrassing coda to his 40-year political career. Chirac left behind a mixed legacy of largely unfulfilled reform promises at home, and over the years, a popular satirical TV show lampooned him for alleged misdeeds, branding him "Superliar".

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