the DNA on the seals does not belong to the mayor… but to the investigators

According to several corroborating sources, the DNA found on the drugs seized in Jamilah Habsaoui's family home is not that of the mayor of Avallon. It actually belongs to two investigators. How can the file now evolve? Our revelations in this affair.

This was one of the major question marks in this extraordinary affair: was the DNA found on the drugs seized in the family home of the mayor of Avallon really that of Jamilah Habsaoui? Eight months after the search, we have the answer, confirmed by several corroborating sources. And she is amazing.

“At the time of the search [le 7 avril 2024]female DNA is found on the seals. This is one of the reasons for the placement in pre-trial detention of Jamilah Habsaoui.”explains a source close to the investigation. Therefore, we must check: is this the DNA of the mayor of Avallon? In which case, the Habsaoui clan's line of defense, arguing that Jamilah was never aware of the trafficking operated by her brother Rachid, would be seriously weakened.

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More “after analyses, it emerged that the female DNA was not that of Mrs. Habsaoui”continues the source. Additional detail: it is in fact… the DNA of investigators who carried out the investigations. Disturbing. How could this have happened? We won't know more. This information is confirmed to us by two sources close to the case, but not officially by the gendarmerie, refusing to comment. “We dismantled drug trafficking, with the seizure of 70 kilos of cannabis and 1 kilo of cocaine”only recalls Colonel Nicolas Nanni, commander of the Yonne gendarmerie group.

It was necessary to carry out checks, to clarify things.

A source close to the investigation

The absence of Jamilah Habsaoui's DNA on the seals, in any case, influenced the decision to release her in mid-May, after six weeks of pre-trial detention. “But pre-trial detention was not based only on DNA”qualifies a source. “We had to carry out checks, hear witnesses, clarify things. From a legal point of view, this is 'classic' timing. It is common for pre-trial detentions to be requested to freeze the situation while checks are carried out. That doesn’t necessarily mean the person is guilty.”

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In mid-December, Jamilah Habsaoui – who returned to her chair and her duties as mayor in mid-October – remains under investigation for drug trafficking. The investigating judge should decide on the follow-up to be given to this case within a few weeks.

Concerning Jamilah Habsaoui, three scenarios are possible:

• The courts may decide to send Jamilah Habsaoui back to criminal custody, maintaining the indictment. The mayor of Avallon would then be tried in court.
• The courts may decide to maintain the indictment for the moment, then decide either to refer it to criminal proceedings or to dismiss the case.
• Justice can place the mayor under a less incriminating status than an indictment, such as the status of assisted witness. In this case, Jamilah Habsaoui would not be judged.

In the event of referral to criminal justice, the maximum penalty incurred is 10 years in prison for transport, possession, acquisition and transfer of drugs.

Contacted about our revelations, Jamilah Habsaoui and her lawyers “refuse to make any comments and let justice do its work“. Let us also remember that the mayor is not the only one indicted in this case: her two brothers Rachid and Benaïssa are also among those prosecuted. Rachid, moreover, takes responsibility for drug trafficking.

• 7 avril – Jamilah Habsaoui and six other suspects, including her two brothers, are arrested.
• 10 avril – After 72 hours in police custody, the mayor of Avallon is indicted for drug trafficking and possession and placed in pre-trial detention.
• 23 avril – Jamilah Habsaoui's request for release is rejected.
• 25 avril – Benaïssa Habsaoui, one of the councilor's brothers, obtains his release. He remains under judicial supervision and is prohibited from staying at his home in Étaule, a village located 3.5 kilometers from Avallon.
• May 7 – Jamilah Habsaoui speaks for the first time via a press release sent by her lawyers: “I have confidence in justice,” she said.
• May 13 – First municipal council of Avallon since the indictment of Jamilah Habsaoui. The mayor “indents” from his functions but does not resign.
• May 14 – After six weeks of detention, Jamilah Habsaoui leaves prison. She is placed under judicial control, with a ban on appearing in Yonne. According to her lawyer, lawyer Florian Grigis, she feels “relieved, very relieved”.
• June 4 – France 3 learns that the gold bars (in reality, 18 fakes and 2 real ones) and the money were seized from one of Jamilah Habsaoui's brothers.
• September 30 – Judicial control of Jamilah Habsaoui is relaxed. She has authorization to return to Yonne.
• October 11 – Back in office, Jamilah Habsaoui breaks her silence through a 2-minute video, filmed at Avallon town hall.
• October 14 – Jamilah Habsaoui chairs her first municipal council since the start of the affair.