François Fillon, head of government under President Nicolas Sarkozy, had worked for years with his wife Penelope.
Former French presidential candidate François Fillon has been sentenced to imprisonment for his wife’s sham employment. A Paris court sentenced five years in prison on Monday, three of them on probation.
His wife Penelope, who comes from England, was also sentenced to three years’ probation. She had worked for her husband in parliament at Parliament’s expense for years. The Fillons’ lawyers announced that they would appeal the verdict.
The allegations had heavily burdened Fillon’s unsuccessful presidential candidacy in 2017. At that time, Fillon was considered a big favorite for the post of the future French head of state. The media had revealed Penelope’s years of employment just before the presidential election. Fillon eventually struggled for political survival – and crashed in the polls.
An intrigue?
The Fillons have always rejected the allegations in the job affair. You spoke of an intrigue. “This is the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” said Penelope at the time.
The 66-year-old Fillon appeared on Monday afternoon with his 64-year-old wife in court, as can be seen on television pictures. Both wore a protective mask and left the court without a word after the verdict was pronounced.
Penelope worked as a parliamentary assistant for her husband and his successor Marc Joulaud in the National Assembly. According to the court, this was a sham job. Joulard has now also been given a suspended sentence. All three have to pay heavy fines. They have also been instructed to repay more than one million euros to the National Assembly. The court also ruled that François Fillon could not be elected to a political office for ten years.
Mail sent only
The judge said Penelope Fillon’s compensation was disproportionate to her activities, Franceinfo reported. They mainly sent mail. According to the investigations, the Fillons embezzled several hundred thousand euros in public funds between 1998 and 2013.
François Fillon’s lawyer Antonin Lévy described the court decision as “not fair”. He had to start a new process. Penelope’s lawyer spoke of an extremely harsh judgment.
François Fillon comes from the Sarthe department in northwestern France. He entered the National Assembly at the age of 27 and has been a minister several times since 1993. Between 2007 and 2012 he was head of government under the then President Nicolas Sarkozy.
(APA / dpa / Reuters)
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