After a number of years of investigations, the judicial investigation opened on Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s campaign accounts through the 2017 presidential election concluded in early Could. On Monday, sources near the matter confirmed this stage of the process, revealed by The Worldwhich ends with 4 indictments, together with that of Sophia Chikirou.
This investigation relates particularly to the actions of Mediascop, the communications consulting firm of Sophia ChikirouMember of Parliament for Paris. The magistrates suspect the existence of overbilling for sure companies carried out through the presidential marketing campaign, more likely to represent fraud to the detriment of the State regarding bills reimbursed by public funds.
First indictments from 2021
The case was triggered in April 2018 following reviews transmitted by the Nationwide Fee for Marketing campaign Accounts and Political Financing (CNCCFP), then by Tracfin. Just a few months later, in October 2018, searches have been carried out on the headquarters of the political motion, on the house of Jean-Luc Mélenchon in addition to a number of of his colleagues.
The case was then entrusted to investigating judges in November 2018. The primary indictments handed down in spring 2021 primarily focused the affiliation l’Ere du peuple and its monetary agent Marie-Pierre Oprandi for “illicit mortgage of labor”. At this stage of the process, the absence of prosecution for the preliminary suspicions of fraud and overbilling had been interpreted favorably by Rebellious France.
Abuse of company property and concealment of breach of belief
Nonetheless, the investigation subsequently advanced. In September 2021, the LFI deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis Bastien Lachaud was indicted particularly for “illicit mortgage of labor, forgery, scam and tried fraud.” Just a few months later, in February 2022, the proceedings concentrating on the affiliation l’Ere du peuple have been prolonged to the {qualifications} of “fraud and tried aggravated fraud” in addition to “forgery and use of forgery”.
Our file on La France Insoumise
In September 2024, Sophia Chikirou was in flip indicted for “aggravated fraud, misuse of company property and concealment of breach of belief”. Contacted by AFP on Monday, the attorneys of these indicted didn’t want to communicate or couldn’t be reached. A second authorized case regarding parliamentary assistants was additionally closed not too long ago, with out giving rise to the indictment of anybody.
