PARIS – Jacques Chirac on Monday became the first former French president to go on trial as a court heard charges that he embezzled public funds while he was mayor of Paris in the 1990s. The 78-year-old, one of France’s most popular political figures, did not attend the start of the trial that will examine whether he misused public money to pay people working for his party ahead of a successful election bid.
Presiding judge Dominique Pauthe adjourned Monday’s hearing after a few hours, saying it would resume on Tuesday when he would rule on a constitutional challenge in the case, which if successful could delay the trial by several months. Chirac, who was Paris mayor from 1977 to 1995, enjoyed immunity from prosecution as president from 1995 to 2007, but the case, which has already seen current Foreign Minister Alain Juppe convicted, has finally caught up with him.
The judge read out the charges, including embezzlement and breach of trust, to a packed court in central Paris. Chirac has denied any knowledge of corrupt payments and his lawyers accuse magistrates of harbouring a political agenda. He has been linked to a series of corruption scandals but never convicted.
