1any In October, as part of the Rugby World Cup, the President of the Portuguese Republic was received at Saint-Etienne City Hall. All smiles, he was next to Gael Perdreau. But did he know that the mayor was accused? This is the question asked by the MP for Puy-de-Dôme and President of the Franco-Portuguese Friendship Group, Christine Pires-Bonne. She had the answer.
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October 31, 2023 at 06:00 | Updated on 31 October 2023 at 07:53
On the official website of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic are pictures of the visit of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to Saint-Etienne on 1any October, as part of the Rugby World Cup, is synonymous with the joie de vivre.
Some show the president smiling in the company of the mayor of Saint-Etienne, Gael Perdriau, in the city hall in front of an audience of 200 guests.
“I had comments”
This proximity sparked reactions. Because, like plaster sticking to Captain Haddock’s finger The sunflower case, the alleged video extortion has been following the mayor of Saint-Etienne for more than a year. This presidential visit was no exception to the rule. Especially since it happened on the same day as the new revelation mediapartdescribing a plot this time targeting Michel Theolier.
Socialist Party MP for Puy de Dome, Cristin Pires Bon, wrote to the Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic to clarify. She did this above all as President of the Franco-Portuguese Friendship Group in the National Assembly. “I received comments from people who were surprised that the President of the Portuguese Republic was there next to Gael Perdrião,” she said, before adding that everything was via mail.
Reminder of the facts and the questions that arise from them
So what does this letter sent on October 17 say? MI “The mayor was indicted on Thursday, April 6, on charges of extortion and was placed under the status of an auxiliary witness on charges of embezzlement of public funds,” Peres-Bon recalls first.
As soon as the picture was drawn, the representative expressed her astonishment: “We are surprised that the head of state is able to communicate with this controversial figure,” who, as we remember, is considered innocent at this stage.
“This situation is challenging and raises many questions,” Christine Pires-Bonn continues. Were you aware of the legal status of Mr. Gael Perdreau? Did the Quai d’Orsay consider it necessary to warn you about the context of the visit of the President of the Portuguese Republic? »
To listen
Our latest episode of Politically Incorrect discusses the Portuguese President’s visit to Saint-Etienne. You can listen to it here.
Information that has not been brought to the attention of the Ambassador
To answer all these questions, we contacted the Portuguese Embassy. The Consul General of Portugal in Lyon informed us on Wednesday that the letter from MI Peres Bon received a reply from the Ambassador but this letter was of a private nature. Despite our insistence, he maintained his position, advising us to go to the representative, and he has the freedom to reveal the content of this message or not. What we did.
The ambassador confirmed in this letter, which he received today, Monday, that “this visit was aimed at attending a match for the Portuguese national team and taking advantage of this trip to hold a meeting with the Portuguese community in the region.” If this friendly moment was staged at City Hall, it was for “simple reasons of convenience.”
Regarding the situation of the mayor of Saint-Etienne, the ambassador said categorically: “The information you sent me regarding Gael Berdriau was not brought to my attention. I learned about it from your letter and then passed it on to my authorities. »
When Gael Perdreau was asked about this visit, he did not want to comment.
