© AFP
On Monday, the Public Prosecutor’s Office demanded a five-year prison sentence for former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon. Four of them are conditional. Suspended prison sentences were also sought for his wife and an employee.
Right-wing politician Francois Fillon was the frontrunner in the 2017 French presidential election, but his campaign was derailed after it was revealed that he had paid his wife Penelope Fillon public money for years by giving her a fake job as a parliamentary assistant. It happened with three contracts between 1998 and 2013 for a total amount of 612 thousand euros. It was alleged that in 2002 and 2005 she began working with his successor in Parliament, Marc Goulad, when Fillon himself became a minister.
Last year, he was sentenced to three years in prison, one year in force plus a €375,000 fine, but Fillon appealed the sentence. France’s public prosecutor’s office described the crime as “proven” and on Monday demanded five years in prison, four of which are conditional. In addition to the prison sentence, which was reduced to house arrest with an electronic bracelet, the prosecution also requested a fine of 375,000 euros and ineligibility for 10 years.
Penelope Villon was sentenced to two years in prison, a fine of 100,000 euros, and ineligibility for two years.
His former parliamentary aide, Marc Goulaud, was sentenced to three years in prison, a fine of 20,000 euros, and ineligibility for five years. (sgg)
