News / Europe

French Ex-President Chirac's Trial to Restart in September

Former French President Jacques Chirac (file photo)
Former French President Jacques Chirac (file photo)
TEXT SIZE - +

A Paris court says the long-delayed trial of former French president Jacques Chirac on corruption charges will resume September 5.

Chirac is accused of misusing public funds while serving as the mayor of Paris between 1977 and 1995.  He allegedly used the money to pay friends and political allies for non-existent jobs.  His nine co-defendants are accused of benefiting from the alleged scheme.  

The trial was suspended in March, after defense lawyers argued some charges were too old to be admissible.  Their challenge was rejected by the French Constitutional Court.

Chirac has denied any wrongdoing.  If convicted, the 78-year-old former politician faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $210,000.

He was immune from prosecution while president from 1995 to 2007.

Chirac will be the first French former head of state to go on trial since France's Nazi-era leader, Marshal Petain, was exiled for treason after World War II.

You May Like

India, China Pledge to Overcome Border Tensions

Indian prime minister and Chinese premier attempt to move past tense standoff in the Himalayas during Delhi talks More

Burmese President Opens US Visit with VOA Town Hall Meeting

Ahead of his meeting with President Obama Monday, Thein Sein answered questions on human rights and economic development in his country More

Video Washington Week: Focus on Burma, US Government Scandals

President Thein Sein visits the White House on Monday, Congressional probes of multiple scandals are continuing More

This forum has been closed.
Comments
     
There are no comments in this forum. Be first and add one

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Video

Video Boston Bomber Spent 6 Months in Russia’s Most Violent Republic

The news of the Boston Marathon bombings circled the globe, and resonated here in Dagestan, a majority Muslim republic in Russia, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Last year, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older of two brothers suspected of the bombings and a long-time Boston resident, returned to Dagestan, where he had lived for a year during his youth. Dagestan was the land of his maternal ancestors. But in the last two years, this republic of 3 million people has gained notoriety as the region with the highest level of political and religious violence in all of Russia. VOA's James Brooke reports from Makhachkala, Russia.