Investigation
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For decades, out of revenge or greed, a father and his son have carried out a vast charity scam. Using court documents and unpublished testimonies, “Libération” retraces this incredible saga, which hides a darker story.
Father Robert M. doesn’t quite remember where the voice on the other end of the line came from, “maybe from Brest”. A man he had married five years earlier was in despair. After his wife died in an accident, he had nothing left, not even enough money to pay the deposit on his apartment. The name meant nothing to Robert M., but as a priest in charge of several parishes in the South of France, he had seen many lovers pass by. A few minutes later, another call. “This time it was the gendarmerie from I don’t know where, he tells Liberation. Someone told me: “You should help this gentleman.” Since I was naive, I gave him 600 euros by credit card to help him out. The trial will take place soon. I filled out a paper to say I wouldn’t be there. I’m 80 years old, I’m not going to do 400 km.” A few months later, in February 2024, Father Pascal B. was abruptly pulled from his nap by a phone call. A policewoman offered him a mission. A hell of a mission, in fact: to catch a priest robber who was wreaking havoc in the Channel. Eager to help out, Pascal B. followed the instructions. He went to the tobacconist’s to withdraw two PCS coupons (a kind of rechargeable bank card) worth 500 euros and sent them to the investigator. The latter called back. He needed 450 euros more. This time, the priest balked and notified the police, the real one. Pascal B. does not want to talk about
