Alexandra Butel, mayor of Dévoluy and former co-director of the Hautes-Alpes management center, was sentenced, on November 4, to six months in prison for operational irregularities within the establishment. In particular, a system of bonuses. His uncle, Jean-Marie Bernard, will be tried on December 4.
The mayor of Dévoluy and former co-director of the Hautes-Alpes management center, Alexandra Butel, was sentenced by the Lyon criminal court on November 4 to six months suspended prison sentence and a fine of 1,500 euros. , BFM DICI learned.
This was prosecuted for “concealment of property resulting from subtraction, misappropriation or destruction of property from a public deposit by depositary or one of his subordinates”. The acts were committed between January 1, 2010 and February 2, 2019.
She was tried as part of an appearance on prior admission of guilt (CRPC), that is to say that she agreed to admit the alleged facts. No sentence of ineligibility was pronounced against him.
“I chose to sacrifice myself”
“I partly take responsibility for the administrative errors that may have been made and from which I benefited in the same way as other officials. I chose to sacrifice myself to protect my territory, to get Dévoluy out of this media cabal , because this is what is happening, I want us to stop mediating the municipality on things that go back several years and which have nothing to do with my mandate,” Alexandra Butel immediately reacted. , at the microphone of BFM DICI.
She also believes that this affair is being used to harm her, as well as her uncle, Jean-Marie Bernard. The latter, former president of the Hautes-Alpes management center, will be tried on December 4 at the Lyon court.
“I think we're using that to create buzz and to reach the president of the departmental council. Yes, he's my uncle but there are a lot of family ties in the Hautes-Alpes. What I want to do is now is that we highlight the territory's project, everything we have worked on. I made this difficult decision so that we stop talking about Dévoluy in a bad way. behind me,” she added.
A survey carried out since 2019
Since 2019, Alexandra Butel was cited in an investigation carried out by the Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction (JIRS) of Lyon, relating to operating irregularities within the Hautes-Alpes management center.
Indeed, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regional Audit Chamber (CRC) published a report the same year following an audit of the management of this establishment. Irregularities were noted, in particular in a system of bonuses awarded to Alexandra Butel, then co-director, and to another co-director.
This CRC report gave rise to the opening of a judicial investigation. Investigation for which Jean-Marie Bernard is also on trial. The current president of the Hautes-Alpes departmental council is being prosecuted for suspicion of “favoritism” and “embezzlement” as part of a procedure carried out since 2019 and comprising two parts: the presidency of the department and the operation of the center management between 2008 and 2019.
Alexandra Butel already answered the judges' questions on November 4. She should therefore not be present on December 4 at the Lyon court.
Valentin Doyen with Emma Forton
