Source: En pleine présidentielle, Benalla dégaine son arme pour un selfie
THE EPO scandals of the past refuse to go away. They keep coming back. It's a big deal because Battistelli hired six bodyguards, paying them millions of euros that Battistelli also passed to his other employer (at a later date, weeks before he left the Office). At a rate of €8,000-€10,000 per month per person it certainly feels like graft (Battistelli comes from politics where it is commonplace and he's closely connected to Nicolas Sarkozy).
"The 'bodyguard' of Battistelli along with Battistelli himself -- if not Vice-Presidents too (Lutz must have known it was in breach of German law) -- should be prosecuted and perhaps arrested."The EPO is a corrupt place; we called it a criminal enterprise this morning in relation to António Campinos and this whole story continues to unfold, looking back at EPO affairs from around 2016 when Battistelli did all this in secret. The 'bodyguard' of Battistelli along with Battistelli himself -- if not Vice-Presidents too (Lutz must have known it was in breach of German law) -- should be prosecuted and perhaps arrested. They no longer enjoy diplomatic immunity. That said, we live in a world where the rich and powerful (and/or well-connected) rarely face the music and end up behind bars. They might, at worst, decide to publicly resign and enjoy the rest of their lives with no real punishment.
This story/saga was previously covered in:
France's national fraud prosecution unit has opened an investigation for “corruption” over a French firm's security contract signed with Russian oligarch Iskander Makhmudov, and negotiated by Alexandre Benalla while the latter was a security aide at the Ãâ°lysée. Mediapart first revealed details of this contract, which involves a company run by Benalla's friend Vincent Crase, back in December. In a separate development the French prime minister's head of security has resigned after claims that her flat was used to host a bail-breaching meeting between Benalla and Crase that was secretly recorded in July 2018. She denies any wrong doing. Fabrice Arfi, Antton Rouget and Marine Turchi report.
France's financial crimes prosecution unit the Parquet National financier (PNF) has opened an investigation for “corruption” over a security contract signed between a French company and Russian oligarch Iskander Makhmudov and negotiated from start to finish by Alexandre Benalla when he was still a security aide to President Emmanuel Macron at the Ãâ°lysée. The investigation is being carried out by detectives from Paris.