Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 7, 2008 7:52:49 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Chirac Faces Pilfering Probe

Posted Nov 22, 07 3:12 PM CST in World 

(Newser) – A French magistrate launched a probe yesterday into claims that former President Jacques Chirac skimmed funds while in office, the Independent reports. Chirac, who turns 76 next week, is accused of using tax money to back friends and allies during his reign as mayor from 1977 to 1995. More accusations are said to follow against Chirac, the first former president to face a criminal probe. 

Magistrate Xavière Simeoni interviewed him for three hours yesterday about claims that he has siphoned francs into the coffers of his own party, the now-defunct Rally for the Republic. Chirac admits to okaying controversial contracts, but claims all were legal—and insists he never lined his own pockets. "Town hall resources were never used to further any ambition other than to serve Parisians," he wrote.

Source Independent (UK)

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Paris-Berlin Relations Turn Sour

    Feb 27, 08 10:08 AM CST
    Paris-Berlin Relations Turn Sour Only a week after Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel called off a scheduled meeting, France and Germany's finance ministers canceled their own summit yesterday, reports AFP. While nobody wants to say that the leaders of Europe's two largest countries are getting testy with each other, disagreements over economic policy and the EU's role have led to markedly tense relations. More »

  • Le Beau Sarko Vexes French

    Dec 23, 07 1:20 PM CST
    Le Beau Sarko Vexes French He ain't your daddy's Jacques Chirac, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy's escapades have his countrymen both enthralled and concerned, reports the Guardian. His rollercoaster love life provides delicious gossip to a public that buys "I love Sarko" skivvies, and the tiny dynamo poses for intimate photo shoots and traipses around Disney World with supermodels in hand. But some see the antics as a ploy to divert attention from tough issues.  More »

  • Transit Strike Cripples France

    Nov 14, 07 10:19 AM CST
    Transit Strike Cripples France In France, the biggest strike since Nicolas Sarkozy's election paralyzed transportation services from national rail to the Paris metro today. Massive traffic jams, long waits for the few subway trains running, and fleets of bicycles were in evidence in the first day of what is seen as a critical showdown between Sarkozy and the public unions whose early-retirement privileges he wants to trim. More »

  • Sarkozy, Unions in Showdown

    Nov 13, 07 11:20 AM CST
    Sarkozy, Unions in Showdown French railway workers will walk off the job again tonight, this time in an open-ended strike with some backup from subway, bus, electrical, and gas workers, all angry over Nicolas Sarkozy's proposal to end their special pension rights. The strike is expected to test the president's will for reforms aimed at liberating France's sluggish economy from bureaucratic constraints. More »

  • Cecilia Who? Sarko Plays Field

    Oct 22, 07 1:05 PM CDT
    Cecilia Who? Sarko Plays Field Nicolas Sarkozy's new bachelor status has the French abuzz about how swingin' their prez will be. The freshly divorced head of state has been spotted lunching with an ex-Bond girl, flirting with a well-known playwright, and carrying a letter reading “I haven’t seen you for an eternity and I miss you... a million little kisses," reports the Telegraph. More »

Former French President Jacques Chirac attends the funeral of former French prime minister Pierre Messmer, at the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2007.   (Associated Press)
Former French president Jacques Chirac is seen in Paris, in this Nov. 17, 2006 file photo. A judge filed preliminary charges against former president Jacques Chirac on Wednesday Nov. 21, 2007 in a probe...   (Associated Press)
Jean Veil, the lawyer of former French President Jacques Chirac answers reporters outside the financial court in Paris, Wednesday Nov 21, 2007, after a judge filed preliminary charges against Jacques...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Tags

France  • Jacques Chirac  • embezzlement  • probe


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »