In general, lawyers complain about the slowness of justice. Those of Sadri Fegaier, head of the Indexia group, whose trial for deceptive commercial practices opened on Monday, September 23 at the Paris judicial court, complained that it was too fast.
They claimed that their case was not yet “in condition” to be examined, given the constant appearance of new civil parties. Consumers who, after having tried to terminate their mobile phone insurance contract, continued to see their money taken by the broker SFAM are nevertheless eagerly awaiting this trial.
The president of the hearing held on the 31e The correctional chamber indicated that, since April 2024, some eight hundred civil parties have been added to the previous eight hundred. About twenty more appeared during the hearing. Others are likely to do so until the prosecutor presents her requisitions, which is scheduled for Tuesday, 1is october.
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Me Matthieu Chirez, lawyer of Sadri Fegaier – present at the hearing – protested: “ The number of civil parties has doubled since May!” He blamed UFC-Que Choisir for this, which allegedly “launched appeals for victims”by offering sample letters on his website. He requested that the trial be adjourned, on the grounds that it would be impossible for the defense to examine all the files. However, he stated, examining the admissibility of each one would be “inseparable” of the examination of the guilt of the accused.
Lawyers’ anger
This second request for referral (the first having been accepted on May 24, 2024) has aroused the anger of the victims’ lawyers. “You had to prepare yourself! We worked night and day without taking any vacation this summer!”launched Me Rachel Nakache, lawyer for 265 civil parties. She noted that several of her clients had traveled from “everywhere in France” to attend the hearing, and that a second courtroom had to be opened so that the entire public could follow the trial.
“The more adjournments there are, the more civil parties there will be, because now the victims are informed that this trial is taking place.”said Mr.e Emma Léoty, lawyer for 700 consumers. “It is very possible to rule on guilt [de M. Segaier et de ses sociétés]and to refer to the interests of the civil parties”she added, approved by M.e Alexis Macchetto, lawyer for UFC-Que Choisir, said that the association had only allowed consumers to “to assert their rights in court”.
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