Marine Le Pendaughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen and leader of the National Group (AN) of France, has been declared guilty for embezzlement In the case of false parliamentary assistants through which they diverted funds from the European Union for a value of 2.9 million euros. Next to her have also been convicted of another eight slopes of her party.
Because of these facts, Le Pen has been sentenced on Monday to four years in prison, two of them firm, to pay a fine of 100,000 euros and five years of disqualification; All sorrows similar to those received by the other eight sentenced MEPs.
Another of those involved, the mayor of Perpiñán and Vice President of National GroupLouis Aliot, has been sentenced to six months in prison, to pay a 18,000 euro fineSya a three -year disqualification, although it will not be applied immediately in order to “preserve the freedom of the voters” that voted.
Likewise, the twelve courts have been convicted for having received these funds through “fictitious contracts.” The president of the Court, Bénédicte de Perthuis, has detailed that embezzlement It was carried out for “more than eleven years” in order to “reduce the load of the party.”
“It has been proven that all these people actually worked for the party” and that “the deputies had not entrusted with any task,” explained the judge, which, which has ruled out political motivations in the sentenceaccording to the newspaper ‘Le Monde’.
Plot directed by Le Pen
According to the accusation, National Group would have created a plot, directed by Le Pen, to use the Diets paid to MEPs Between 2004 and 2016 aimed to remunerate their parliamentary assistants for the Payment of party workers’ salaries and “relieve” their finances.
In addition to the economic sanctions imposed on the convicted, national group has also been punished to pay a million euroswhich adds to the confiscation of another million euros seized during the investigation.
Le Pen: “It is obvious that we are all innocent”
After hearing the conviction issued by the court, Le Pen has defended himself and ensures that he is innocent. “I’m going to turn to because I am innocent (…). It is obvious that we are all innocent and we want that innocence to be recognized. “
The leader has denounced that It is a “political decision” to prevent it from being presented to the presidential elections of 2027, because after what happened it has been disabled for it.
“This trial mounted by our political rivals It is based on arguments that are not supported. It is just a difference in administrative criteria with the European Parliament. There is no personal enrichment. There is no corruption“Le Pen said during an interview with the TF1 chain on Monday.
Despite her statements, the truth is that the leader has been disabled over the next five years, in addition to having to pay an economic amount of thousands of euros and remain under surveillance With an electronic bracelet.
