France; President vs ex-Prime Minister.[ 457 ]

Ex-French PM's smear trial begins

If found guilty Mr de Villepin (r) faces up to five years in prison (BBC) 21 Sept.2009 - 12:59 UK The former French Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, has gone on trial on Monday charged with plotting to discredit President Nicolas Sarkozy. esident of EADS Jean Louis Gergorin admitted that he gave the list, which also included his boss Philippe Delmas, to judicial authorities - but he also claims he was acting on orders from Mr de Villepin and President Chirac. When a judge concluded the listings were false, the focus of the investigation quickly became who was behind the spurious allegations, says our correspondent. It is alleged that Mr de Villepin tried to manipulate a judicial investigation to hurt Mr Sarkozy's chances of winning the 2007 presidential election. If found guilty, Mr de Villepin could face up to five years in jail and a 45,000 euro (£41,000) fine. The former prime minister denies any wrongdoing. "I will come out of this a free man and exonerated," Mr de Villepin, dressed in a navy suit, said before entering the courtroom. "I know that truth will prevail." "The trial of the decade" - as it has already been labelled by some French media - is likely to last about four weeks, although its verdict is not expected until much later. It is being held in the Grande Chambre of the Palais de Justice next to Notre Dame cathedral - the same Paris courtroom where Queen Marie Antoinette was sentenced to the guillotine in 1793 by France's revolutionary tribunal. Witnesses are due to include another former prime minister, Jean Pierre Raffarin, and a smattering of past and present intelligence chiefs. Although he is a plaintiff in the trial Mr Sarkozy, as president, will not have to testify. Intense rivalry Mr de Villepin stands accused of "complicity in false accusation, complicity in using forgeries, receipt of stolen property and breach of trust" and is expected to testify next week. The case dates back five years, when Nicolas Sarkozy's name appeared on a list of top politicians and businessmen sent to Mr de Villepin. It was alleged those named on the list had received bribes from international arms sales. THE CLEARSTREAM ACCUSED Dominique de Villepin: Former PM, 55, denies accusations he tried to circulate details of Sarkozy's illegal bank accounts, even though he knew they were fake Jean-Louis Gergorin: Former Airbus VP, 63, accused of faking Clearstream bank accounts as part of Airbus power-struggle, says he accepted accounts in good faith Imad Lahoud: Computer expert, 42, says he faked Clearstream accounts on Gergorin's behalf, introducing Sarkozy's name on Villepin's instructions Florian Bourges: Accountant, 31, accused of stealing Clearstream documents and breach of trust Denis Robert: Journalist and author, 41, who broke the story, accused of dealing in stolen property and breach of trust Murky tale behind French PM's trial Part of the intention of drawing up the elaborate forgery seems to have been to discredit senior figures in the aerospace group EADS, to influence the outcome of a boardroom leadership struggle, says the BBC's Emma Jane Kirby in Paris. Magistrates want to know whether that person was Mr de Villepin, and whether he attempted to conduct a smear campaign against Mr Sarkozy to spoil his chances of winning the presidential election. Mr de Villepin was questioned over the so-called "Clearstream affair" in December 2006 and has been under investigation since 2007. The name Clearstream comes from the Luxembourg bank where the individuals on the list - including Mr Sarkozy - were supposed to be account holders. Mr de Villepin and Mr Sarkozy were both ministers under President Jacques Chirac, but were intense rivals. Mr de Villepin was preferred by Mr Chirac, but it was Mr Sarkozy who won party support to succeed the president.