the essential
The court brought together the three cases which opposed the former senator of Gers to his ex-parliamentary attaché… but the deliberations satisfied no one.
This Thursday, the Auch court ruled on the hearing of March 28, in a triple case between former senator Aymeri de Montesquiou and his parliamentary attaché Karine Mouton and her partner. The first, the only protagonist present in the room, attacked his colleague for breach of trust, and the second for concealment of property obtained through a breach of trust. Karine Mouton had filed a complaint for concealed work.
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Embezzlement, undeclared work: former senator Aymeri de Montesquiou before the courts against his parliamentary assistant
In these cross-complaints, the first hearing in March had highlighted many gray areas and resentment between the two parties. The files were joined by the court in its deliberations.
Deliberate
The second person is acquitted on the benefit of the doubt. Karine Mouton was acquitted again, concerning the works of art from a Toulouse gallery. The investigation had revealed €27,200 of expenses in this establishment on the account of the former elected official, without any trace of the works thus acquired.
The court, however, found Karine Mouton guilty of breach of trust. The former parliamentary attaché was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended, with deprivation of the right to stand for election. In compensation for material damage, she must pay €103,173, €2,000 for moral damages and €2,000 for legal costs.
Aymeri de Montesquiou is acquitted of charges of undeclared work, and the court rejects the former elected official’s request to obtain damages from his collaborator for abuse of direct summons. Karine Mouton’s claims are dismissed.
“The court considered that there were no elements that would demonstrate a relationship of subordination or that would demonstrate an employment contract,” explained the president, Véronique Maurel. “But that said, the court notes that there were periods when Ms. Mouton actually seemed to have worked” for the former elected official, without finding any elements of clear remuneration.
We will appeal
The decision does not satisfy anyone. Starting with the former Gers senator, who shakes his head at the statement of the deliberations. “It’s shameful,” declared a scandalized Aymeri de Montesquiou as he left the courtroom. I’m stunned: it’s ridiculous compared to everything she stole from me. » Call or not? He will seek advice from his Parisian lawyer, who was not present, before making a decision.
Me Vazquez, who defends Karine Mouton, is more talkative. If the lawyer says she is delighted with the acquittal of her client (the partner of Karine Mouton), targeted according to her by “reprisals from the former senator”, she cannot explain the acquittal of the latter in the complaint for hidden work. “The court nevertheless concludes that there was a time when Karine Mouton worked for him without remuneration. This seems like an appeasement decision to me, but I hope I’m wrong. »
On the other hand, with regard to the convictions of Karine Mouton for breach of trust, Me Vazquez is direct: “We will obviously appeal: these are totally unjustified, as for the quantum and the sentence which is particularly severe . »
