While Marine Le Pen could be sentenced to an ineligibility sentence on Monday, Jean-Luc Mélenchon could also face such risks. The founder of La France Insoumise (LFI) has been targeted since 2017 by an investigation by the European Antifraude (Olaf) office. The final report was revealed by Release Friday March 28: He reveals the ” shortcomings “ and “Irregularities” Regarding the activity of two parliamentary assistants of the rebellious between 2013 and 2017, which would have cost around 500,000 euros in the European Parliament.
The Olaf had opened an investigation on July 26, 2017 after the report of the right-wing MEP Sophie Montel targeting the National Front (now RN), the MoDem and Jean-Luc Mélenchon on possible fictitious jobs in the European Parliament. The MEP, at the head of the left party, founded LFI in February 2016.
Two former assistants in the viewfinder
According to the Olaf, the historic press secretary of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Juliette Prados, and his chief of staff, Laurent Maffeïs, are suspected of having failed to declare that they were working on behalf of the rebellious “As a political party leader”indicates the report cited by Libe. And this, when they were paid by the European institution.
These officials were also accredited parliamentary assistants (APA), that is to say that they had to work exclusively with the European Parliament in Brussels or Strasbourg and had to live nearby. However, they resided in Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis) and Paris, while they received the change of scenery by the European Parliament, or 16 % of their fees.
Juliette Prados and Laurent Maffeïs would not have respected the regulations of the European Parliament, by communicating via the messaging of the left party and not through that of Brussels. The former collaborators of Jean-Luc Mélenchon assure that they did not know who paid their travel expenses. Questioned by the Olaf in September 2020, the former presidential candidate remained rather vague: “If we didn’t ask anything from the European Parliament, it was because it had to be paid by someone else (…) I guess it was paid with the “mission” envelope. »» Before adding that it would not be “Not aware of the mission rules”.
“A ignorance and an assumed disinterest”
The Olaf report does not clearly evoke a fraud to funding but judges that Jean-Luc Mélenchon “Unknown the regulatory criteria associated with the contract of accredited parliamentary assistant of Mr. Maffeïs and Ms. Prados, which he nevertheless requested the care by the European Parliament”.
According to the Olaf, the rebellious showed a “Ignorance and assumed disinterest in the conditions of employment and activity” fixed by the regime applicable to parliamentary assistants and by the status of MEPs, relates Release. These facts could thus be formed around investigations for “breach of trust”, “embezzlement of public funds” and “concealment”.
The investigation is groping for the moment. After a break linked to the replacement of one of the investigating judges, Laurent Maffeïs was placed under the status of assisted witness while Juliette Prados is currently not prosecuted. Heard by the police in 2018, Jean-Luc Mélenchon has still not been by the new magistrate.
