Michel Neugnot, vice-president of the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region, was cleared by the National Conflict Commission of the Socialist Party this Thursday, October 19. He was accused of having made racist remarks towards an elected official from Nivernais in August.
The National Conflict Commission of the Socialist Party published a report on Thursday, October 19, in which it announced that it had cleared Michel Neugnot. “In the absence of sufficient elements to characterize the alleged facts and proof of the incriminated comments, the referral is rejected.”
“In the state of Michel Neugnot’s denials and the testimonies of all those present, except one, not confirming the content of the alleged remarks, the proof is “not formally reported of the materiality of the incriminated remarks”continues the commission.
Michel Neugnot was accused of having made racist remarks towards an elected official from Nevers during a trip to Imphy, in Nièvre, on August 22. “Is it good for you baobab?”launched Michel Neugnot to Mahamadou Sangaré during a visit to a construction site on the SNCF Nevers-Dijon line, according to the Journal du Center.
The vice-president of the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region was suspended on Tuesday September 12 from his duties as first federal secretary of the PS in Côte-d’Or, after a meeting of the party’s national office.
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Michel Neugnot had denied these accusations outright from the start. “I never addressed this elected official in the terms with which I am accused. I mentioned the African tradition of palaver around the baobab, about direct democracy”he told France 3 Bourgogne.
Mahamadou Sangaré is elected to the city of Nevers (Renaissance majority) • © Sophie Hémar – France Télévisions
The elected official in question, Mahamoudou Sangaré, member of the municipal council of the city of Nevers, nevertheless claims to have heard the qualifier “baobab” to his address. “Just because he was cleared doesn’t mean he didn’t say that. People come to me and are scandalized that he is cleared. I received hundreds of messages of support. That’s enough for me, I’m not going to file a complaint.“
“If Michel Neugnot had called me, we wouldn’t be here.”
Mahamadou Sangaré,
deputy mayor of Nevers
The deputy of Denis Thuriot, mayor (Renaissance) of Nevers, also told us that the National Rally will table a motion to request the resignation of Michel Neugnot.
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