The decision fell this Tuesday for the president of the Somme departmental council, tried on October 1 in Beauvais for breach of trust, fraud and money laundering. Stéphane Haussoulier is found guilty of all the charges against him and sentenced three years suspended prison sentence, 30,000 euros fine and reimbursement of sums collected. It is also declared ineligible for a period of three yearsbut without immediate effect. He was not present in court for the judgment.
Justice accuses him of embezzlement of nearly 370,000 euros, over a period from June 2016 to December 2023within the framework of his various functions, as vice-president then president of the Somme department, mayor of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, president of the Baie de Somme mixed union and secretary of the Regional Federation of Public Works of Hauts-de-France. Stéphane Haussoulier had asked, over this period of seven years, the reimbursement in double or even triple of 173 expense reports.
The president of the Somme Departmental Council was also tried for having used the credit cards made available as part of his duties to withdraw money or pay for “various purchases”, ranging from food, care products, train tickets, pastries at Pierre Hermé but also spa services, in cabarets or strip clubs.
During the hearing, he had disputed the factsspeaking of “negligence”. His lawyers had pleaded for acquittal. The Beauvais public prosecutor's office had requested a two-year suspended prison sentence, three years of ineligibility with provisional execution and a fine of 60,000 euros.
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