Article

2007-06-14 Europe

Jacques Chirac's presidential immunity expires at midnight on Saturday, opening the way for judges to question him over a string of investigations into alleged corruption and other scandals in France. During two terms as president from May 1995, Chirac benefited from a constitutional bar on the prosecution or investigation of a serving head of state by the examining magistrates who conduct criminal investigations in France.

Chirac, 74, is not widely expected to face any charges. The prosecution of a former head of state could damage the standing of France's presidency. But as an ordinary citizen, Chirac could face a summons to answer questions in a series of cases, many of which date back to the 18 years when he was mayor of Paris until 1995.

Dossiers include allegations that Chirac enjoyed free travel from a private company while he was president, and accusations that corruption was rife at City Hall when he was Paris mayor.

Chirac has denied any wrongdoing during his 1977-95 tenure as Paris mayor and his lawyer, Jean Veil, declined to comment on the cases. In some dossiers the former French leader could be heard as a witness -- meaning he is not a suspect -- in others he could eventually placed under formal investigation. Veil denied Chirac could face a summons as early as Monday by judges looking into a suspected attempt to smear Nicolas Sarkozy, the man who succeeded him as president.

Posted by Fred 2007-06-14 11:52|| || Front Page|| [11144 views ] Top

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