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WORLD NEWS Thursday 12 March 2020

Ex-French prime minister's wife is key figure in fraud trial

By SYLVIE CORBET and of everyday life to mag-
NICOLAS VAUX-MONTAG- nify the reality," Letocart ar-
NY gued. "Meeting with voters,
Associated Press getting the children from
PARIS (AP) — For over three school, going shopping or
decades, Penelope Fillon reading mail is not intend-
was known as the very dis- ed to be paid work."
creet wife of a prominent In contrast to his wife, Fran-
politician who became cois Fillon, 65, appeared
France's prime minister. She confident and determined
is now at center stage of a in court and insisted his
fraud trial in Paris for well- wife's job was real. He not-
paid, public-funded jobs ed he was first elected at
as an aide to her husband 27 — then the youngest
that she allegedly did not lawmaker at the National
perform. Assembly.
The Fillons have denied "We both immersed in a
wrongdoing. way of life that is a little like
The trial ending Wednesday the priesthood, 7 days a
is set to determine whether week, 365 days a year," he
Penelope Fillon's activities said.
were in the traditional role Francois Fillon insisted that,
of an elected official's part- France's former Prime Minister Francois Fillon, left, and his wife Penelope, arrive at the Paris according to the separa-
ner — or involved actual courthouse, in Paris, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. Associated Press tion of powers, the justice
paid work. system cannot interfere
The scandal, revealed by on June 29. Over the years, she was cided the amount based with how a lawmaker orga-
the French press just three Fillon has been charged offered different types of on the financing he had at nizes work at his office.
months before the coun- with the misuse of public contracts as a parliamen- his disposal," she said. "I am the one deciding the
try's 2017 presidential elec- funds, receiving money tary assistant, depending Prosecutor Aurelien Leto- aides' wages," Fillon said.
tion, cost ex-Prime Minister from the misuse of public on her husband's political cart pointed at the lack "I am not accountable to
Francois Fillon his reputa- funds and the misappro- career. of actual evidence of her anyone."
tion. Once the front-runner, priation of company assets. Speaking with a barely work, including the ab- In addition, charges also
Fillon sunk to third place in His wife has been charged audible voice, she often sence of declarations for cover a contract that al-
the presidential race won mostly as an accomplice. remained vague and hesi- any paid vacations or ma- lowed Penelope Fillon to
by Emmanuel Macron. Her aide work brought the tant in her answers. ternity leaves. earn 135.000 euros in 2012-
The long-standing practice family more than 1 million She detailed her mission Penelope Fillon acknowl- 2013 as a consultant for a
of French politicians hiring euros ($1.08 million) since as mostly writing reports edged difficulties in exact- literary magazine owned
family members for well- 1998. Her previous jobs about local issues, open- ly estimating her working by a friend of her husband
paid public jobs while other were subject to the statute ing the mail, meeting with hours and said her husband — also an alleged fake job.
French workers were strug- of limitations. residents, writing press re- was the one who decided The magazine owner, Marc
gling created a backlash British-born Penelope Fillon, views and help to prepare the length of her contracts de Lacharriere, already
of public anger against 64, told the court how she speeches for local events. and other details like bo- pleaded guilty and was
France's political elite. came to France to study lit- She said working that way nuses she got. given a suspended eight-
Prosecutors lashed out at erature, met Fillon and got allowed her to have a flexi- When she was first inter- month prison sentence and
what they called "fraudu- married in 1980. ble schedule and raise their viewed by investigators, fined 375,000 euros in 2018.
lent, systematic practic- When he was first elected five children in the Fillons' Penelope Fillon forgot to Fillon served as prime min-
es." They requested five as a French lawmaker in countryside manor. mention her first jobs with ister under president Nico-
years in prison, including 1981, she decided to sup- Prosecutors said her wages her husband in the 1980s. las Sarkozy from 2007 to
a three-year suspended port his career at a local — up to nine times France's "I believe that in this room, 2012. He was also a minister
sentence, and a 375,000 level in the small town Sa- minimum salary — ap- most people would re- under two previous presi-
euro ($417,870) fine against ble-sur-Sarthe, in rural west- peared to depend on the member well their first pro- dents, Francois Mitterrand
Francois Fillon, and a three- ern France. That's when available financing from fessional experience," the and Jacques Chirac.
year suspended sentence she started helping him, no the National Assembly rath- president of the court not- He left French politics in
and the same fine against matter whether she was er than the nature of her ed. 2017 and now works for
his wife. being paid for the job or work. The Fillons tried to use "all an asset management
The verdict will be rendered not, she said. "I believe my husband de- casual tasks and gestures company.q